No more hiding
by Dumti
Summary: AU. Fem naru. Watching them in the shadows, protecting them in the darkness. They never knew she existed. Now it was time to stop hiding and come out from from her shells. She was done hiding. Final version of N-U Naru. V.slow update. pairings undecided.
1. Chapter 1

**[I've set this back farther than previous story. I will try to keep things the same as possible but with some necessary changes to smoothen the flow of the story. I can't promise an exact date of the next update or the fact that it will regular or often. I hope you are satisfied by the new version and if they are any mistakes, please inform me. I'm more than happy to read them and correct my mistakes.]**

**P.S- I tried to keep Itachi in character as possible with the AU plot. I hope I didn't change him too much.**

**P.S.S- If there are any parts that you don't understand, feel free to PM me. I'll be happy to explain as best as I can.**

* * *

**Fixed-June 18 2012  
**

**No more Hiding**

**Chapter 1**

* * *

In the shadows where nobody saw or knew, two cerulean eyes stared at the passing civilians. They never knew she existed. That was her job. To work in the darkness, serving the village and die without anyone knowing her existence. It always has been that way. They were her priorities. To protect and kill anyone who dared to harm them.

Behind her animal mask she stared at them critically, her muscles tense and ready to pounce if there were dangers. She saw the children pass through the crowds playing happily, knowing nothing about true world they lived in. Today was Saturday, therefore the shopping district was crowded than ever. Families walked together buying what their children wanted, friends talking together, women gossiping in one corner, boys playing ninjas and girls fawning over boys they liked. The scene sometimes made her feel somewhat alone, but she never let the feeling in her win. It was something she never had to begin with and never will. Most of the times, just watching them made her feel content, thinking that she was protecting them from harm and the children won't suffer the same fate as hers. She didn't know how much it will hurt them but she knew that it won't pleasant.

Hiding from their eyes, she relaxed a little. This job was surely boring, but seeing them happy made her feel happy.

Next to her, another shadow landed silently barely making a sound. She knew who the person was. She felt his Chakra signature 500m before he arrived here.

"Sou-taichou" The ANBU greeted her silently. His mask was covered by the shadows but being trained at very young age, she saw his mask in the never ending darkness.

"Taka" She greeted him back. Her shift was over and it was his turn. Her body tensed up automatically, concealing her weakness as she was ready to go. Nodding to him ever so slightly, she disappeared into the darkness, jumping on roofs at an impossible speed for civilians and Genins to see. Everything was always like this. She would be in her usual shift three times a day from 9:00 am till 1:00 pm then have a thirty minute break to write the daily reports and give it to the Hokage. She then would train till her next shift which was one 6:00 pm until 10:00 pm. Her last shift was from 3:00 am till 7:00 am and her cycle repeats. Between those times she trained, ate and slept and nothing more. As the supreme leader of ANBU, short for Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai (Special Assassination and Tactical Squad) she didn't have much free time. Besides her shifts, she had to write daily reports about her ANBU, especially the newbies if they deserved to be in ANBU. They didn't know but just joining ANBU didn't mean you were full ledged ANBU. The tattoos they received weren't even permanent. For 6 months, the batch of ANBU would be tested in one way or another and looked for the perfect quality that Konoha needed and it was her job to write about them in weekly reports to the Hokage if they deserved to be in or out.

Silently, she landed on the roof of the Hokage Tower. Underneath her, she felt her leader's Chakra signature in his room doing his paperwork or reading mission reports from his shinobis. Adjusting her white ANBU cloak to cover her, she walked down the wall, her Chakra automatically forming on her feet to stick to the wall. Like a cat, she landed just outside the windows, her form crouched and ready to pounce away after her new order. She knew that her leader was aware of her arrival even without looking at her arrival. May it that he was currently busy with meetings or receiving reports from others. She would wait until the end not matter what.

* * *

The Hokage faintly chuckled when he felt her Chakra just outside the building, waiting on the balcony. It sometimes made him wonder how she always evaded other shinobis' eyes like that when she wasn't even bothering to hide her form when she landed but nonetheless, no one ever noticed her arrival.

"Haruto, do want another D-rank mission for your Genins?" He asked and the Jounin straightened himself at his call. Next to him, his three students groaned at the news of another horrible and boring 'mission'. Haruto glared at them warning them to shut up but the Genins ignored their sensei's wrath glare and groaned louder just to annoy the hell out of him. If they were to suffer, he was going down with them.

Seeing this, the Hokage chuckled. It was always amusing to see them like this. After all D-rank missions were the nemesis to all Genins. He remembered when Haruto was just a Genin and acted just like them. The scene always reminded him that they were still naive and innocent children.

"Sensei, we've been doing D-rank mission for _ages_! Can we do something, I mean something more _interesting_?" Kiza Genshi asked, waving his hands to express the exploding emotion in him to do something harder and worth his time.

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Something like saving a princess or fighting against bandits or even maybe pirates!" He shouted and behind him, his two fellow Genins face palmed at his outburst. Really? Fighting bandits and _pirates_? Saving princess? Like hell someone would hire them when they lacked experience?

Haruto didn't know what to say to his student. He just stared at him as if he was out of his mind. Sure, they were his students for eight months, but that meant nothing when it came to real life situations.

"I'm sure you will do exciting missions in the future." The Hokage commented and finally, Genshi realized what he just said in front of the leader of the village and blushed in embarrassment.

"I-I mean-"

"It's okay. When you grow stronger, I promise you that I'll send you to more of those kinds of missions." He smiled at the boy and the Genin immediately looked at him with his eyes sparkling in excitement.

"But before that, you still have to do D-rank mission. Here, let's take this one. Cleaning the Inuzuka kennel." Haruto reminded and bowed to the Hokage before dragged his troublemaking student out with his other two students following him behind. The Hokage chuckled at the scene. It always amused him to no end. Most thought it would annoy him, but actually, it made his day brighter.

"Kitsune" The ANBU came out from hiding and landed next to the Hokage, kneeling on her left leg with head down in respect.

"Hokage-sama" She replied back and took out a red scroll from her cloak. It was her mission report from her shift.

"Good work. You're dismissed until further notice." He said as he took the scroll from her and she disappeared in a split second.

* * *

Silent as always, she walked down the dark corridors. She couldn't shunshin into the ANBU Headquarters since every inch of the walls were covered by Fuinjutsus but not just any Fuinjutsu but Uzumaki Fuinjutsus provided by Shodaime Hokage's wife, Uzumaki Mito. Decades passed since their deaths and yet, the effect of the Fuinjutsu stayed alive blocking any intruders who dared to enter the building in any time-space techniques or high speed jutsus such as **Shunshin no jutsu**.

Kitsune brushed her hand softly to the plain wall and pressed a secret tile that was invisible to naked eyes. She pushed a little of her Chakra and few seconds later, a hidden door opened and inside rows or blue fire lit, lighting up the dark pathway. Already used to it, she walked into it, walking up the stone stairs and behind her, the door closed up keeping any spies which she doubt they managed to follow her this far. The fires flickered against the wind as she passed but she cared none of it. They were powered by the nature Chakra in the ground and so it never died out no matter how hard it's hit by Wind Chakra enhanced techniques. She stopped dead at the big double door and raised both of her hands and pushed the door open, revealing the true inside of the ANBU Headquarters. No one except for the Hokage and the ANBU members knew the inside of it. It was top secret and even the retired ANBU members such as former Inu, taichou of Squad 2 now known as Hatake Kakashi said a single word of the place. Only rumors but never a proof to prove of the information. Ever since of the beginning of Konoha, no spies from other villages managed to get pass through the iron shields of the place.

"Sou-taichou, welcome back." ANBU greeted their supreme commander as she passed them. She too greeted them back and went to her office. She easily went pass through the traps she had set up for safety and closed the door. She pulled back the hood of her cloak, revealing her sunny blonde hair tied in a bun and natural tanned skin. She placed the cloak on her chair and her mask on the table next to her unfinished paperwork. She couldn't finish them as she had to go on to her shift but now, she had couple hours before her shift again, but this time in the Hokage's office guarding him along with three other experienced ANBU. This shift was only allowed with members who were in ANBU for at least a year and needed confirmation from the Hokage himself and her.

She sat on her leather chair grabbed her pen and a folder from the pile. She opened them and skimmed through the report she got from Neko, taichou of Squad 3. They came back from A-rank assassination mission yesterday. The mission was to assassinate two smug dealers in the outskirt of the South side of Konoha near the borders between Konoha and Kusa. Their targets had hired four Jounins and three Chunins from Kusa but the objective was accomplished with minimal injuries and no lost members. The worst wound was a large gash on the chest on Nezumi and that was it. Overall, the mission was a big success and they were all killed without letting it know that it was Konoha who did it. On the next page, she saw extra and detailed information of the mission and some other things that didn't matter to the mission but to Konoha in general. Kitsune narrowed her slightly reading over the words. It was about Orochimaru. Somehow, it had leaked from Konoha about Uchiha Itachi's rank as ANBU fuku-taichou. It wasn't big as he made it just over a year ago, but it concerned her how the information that only selected people knew leaked from the village and how the traitorous Hebi knew the delicate information. He was obsessed with Kekkei Genkais, especially with Sharingans. Seeing how he knew the information, she mentally noted to have more guards around the Uchiha compound and make note to inform the Uchiha Clan head if any of his clansmen went missing on missions or anything.

"Karasu, I know you're there. Come out." She said and behind her, an ANBU came out from the shadowed corner wearing full ANBU uniform including mask.

"You're good, but not good enough to go unnoticed by me." She said, not looking at him and read through the report again to make sure she didn't miss out anything important. If it concerned the Sanin, especially Orochimaru, she had to make sure she didn't miss out anything.

"Sou-taichou, I know there is an important meeting tomorrow, but if it is possible, can I be excused that day?" He asked with wariness in his voice. It wasn't like him to express emotion like this but the matter he was going to ask was important to him.

"What is your reason to miss such the monthly taichou and fuku-taichou meeting?" She asked him. Her pen was down and she turned her chair around grabbing her mask from her desk, placing it on her face just in time as she faced him directly. He knew her face but old habits die hard and it was protocol to have masks on when speaking to each other in case some liked their privacy. She noted that his right hand was twitching slightly indicating that he was nervous asking her. It made her wonder why he was acting like this. It wasn't his nature to express his emotions or let anyone know what he was feeling.

"It's... about my younger brother." He confessed and she knew what he was talking about.

"Ah, the entrance ceremony. He's joining the academy tomorrow is he not?" She asked and he nodded.

"Are your parents not able to attend the ceremony?" She asked him.

"They have to attend Clan meeting and cannot come to the ceremony." He replied and inside, he knew that the reason wasn't enough to miss the meeting. He meant no offense to his superior and the village, but he truly wanted to be with his younger brother when he was entering the academy. His father was there on his entrance ceremony. It was only right for him as the older brother to be with him tomorrow.

"Hm... I suppose it's enough for you miss it and I was thinking to send you home for few days but I guess this can do. But that's the only time I'm letting you go like this. Is that clear?" She said and he nodded back feeling grateful of her kindness.

"And I have to talk to your father for something tomorrow anyways, so it's a win-win situation for us." She said out loud and looked at the clock on her desk. The time was now 1:30 pm and she still had time before her next shift.

"You're free right now aren't you?" She asked and he nodded.

"Well then, let's go see them right now. It's better if I inform him now than tomorrow." She looked at him and knew he was lost at her words.

"Since you're a hard worker, I'll let you the rest of the day off and tomorrow, but I expect you to work as hard as you can when you comeback." She said seriously and he nodded again. He was glad to serve under her. Despite the age difference between him and his superior, he respected her just like he respected the Hokage.

"Change back to your normal clothes. I'll wait you outside." She informed him and left her office and he too followed her behind but going to the opposite direction where his room was. All complete ANBU members are given rooms in the Headquarters but it was their own choice if they wanted to use it or not. For him, it was like a second home unlike his true home. In here, he didn't feel the heavy atmosphere or the glances he received from his fellow clansmen and the constant whispers about him. Back here, he was treated equally and his name or his known abilities were nothing. In here he was just Karasu, fuku-taichou of Squad 2.

* * *

Next a normal looking building, Kitsune sat upside down on a tree branch, sticking to the branch using Chakra. There were many exits but this one was most used out of all because it was close to the Hokage Tower. It's been only couple of minutes and there was no rush for her. She had plenty of time to finish her paperwork till her next shift. She wore her usual white cloak and her mask hiding her face from view.

Few minutes later, a person emerged from thin air but she knew better. It was a Genjutsu that prevented from outsiders to find out the actual entrance. The building was just a decoy and the real door was somewhere else. Not even Uchihas or Hyugas could see pass through it as it was powered by Fuinjutsus that the Yondaime Hokage drew himself along with his teacher, Jiraiya the Gama Senin.

"Itachi, let's go." She dropped beside him and drew up her hood covering her features completely except for her mask of a grinning fox.

"Hai" Outside, he never addressed her 'Sou-taichou' for safety prosecution but in his tone, she heard the respect that only few could notice behind his even voice. Together, they jumped to a nearby roof, heading for the Uchiha compound. It was faster to go by roofs than ground as then they would have to avoid getting his by civilians and always made a scene if Uchiha Itachi was seen with a cloaked figure. Rumors would spread and that was the last thing they wanted.

* * *

It didn't take long to arrive to his home. They were both shinobis and to cover up the long distance wasn't hard. They landed in front of the gate; barely making any dust clouds as they landed and Itachi opened the door for her. She was his superior. It was only proper for her to go in first even if it was his home.

The Uchihas stared at them and immediately, whispers broke open. It was unusual that he came back this early and especially with someone who was clearly an ANBU taichou from the white cloak. He rarely brought someone home and from his memory, she was the first person for him to bring home and someone from his work. To make it special, it was obvious from their height difference that she was a lot younger than him and for her to come in first showed that he respected her a lot. All Uchihas saw this wanted to know who the person was.

"Itachi-chan! You're back early!" 'Itachi-chan' twitched at the comment but didn't show any further annoyance in his face. There was only one person in whole Uchiha population who dared to call him that in public. Uchiha Shisui, his cousin. Speaking of the devil from a roof, his cousin jumped down and landed next to him, looking all happy to see him.

"I thought you're busy today!" The older Uchiha tried to hug him, but Itachi stepped away, allowing his hyper cousin to hug the air beside him. He looked at his superior in front of him and knew that she was enjoying this. Just like him, she didn't let out emotions a lot but she still did and enjoyed to embarrass people. The fact that she didn't come to his rescue made him sure that she was enjoying it and laughing madly in her mind.

"As you can see, there are matters I must discuss with Otou-sama." He said in his usual even voice but she heard the extreme annoyance. She coughed slightly to hide her laughter but she knew that Itachi saw through her play clear as sky. He looked at her intensely but never glared at her.

"Uchiha-san, I'm sorry to say this, but Itachi and I have some matter that we must discus with Uchiha-sama." She said, coming to his rescue but made sure to keep her words as vague as possible. In fact, she knew that she planted some ridiculous rumors in their heads at her words. The fact that she mentioned that it was about her and him, she knew that they would come up to very interesting rumors that would embarrass Itachi to no end when he hears it in the future. But then again, it wasn't her who spread it. She only planted it in their minds so he couldn't actually blame her or anything.

"Ah ANBU-san, I didn't you were there. Excuse me." He said and left them alone, running away from his cousin's infamous Uchiha glare. He made sure to have a training session with his cousin later on and revenge him after all of this was done.

"Itachi, let's go." She said and Itachi got himself together fast, walking beside her again as they continued to walk to his home. They ignored the curious looks they got as they passed as if they were never there in the first place.

* * *

Seven year old Uchiha Sasuke sat in the living room, reading his brother's notes about the things he studied in the academy. Itachi gave it to him yesterday since tomorrow; he would enroll to the academy to become a shinobi just like the rest of his family. Excitement erupted inside him like a volcano to think that he was a step closer to become a strong shinobi just like Itachi.

"Tadaima" His head perked up hearing his brother's voice. He came back earlier than usual as he would normally come back at about dinner time. Sasuke jumped off from the sofa and ran out to meet his idol.

"Aniki, you're back early today!" He shouted happily, only to see a guest beside him. He couldn't decide if the person was he or a she seeing the person's face was covered by a similar mask that his brother had.

"Sasuke, we have a guest. Behave." Itachi scolded him lightly but let a small smile show, happy to his adoring little brother. Tomorrow, he would learn how to become a shinobi and few years later, they would work together side by side.

"Itachi-kun! You're home ea-" His mother greeted him but stopped seeing another guest beside him. She knew that the guest was an ANBU from the attire and was immediately aware that the ANBU didn't come for just a visit.

"ANBU-san, please come in. I'll call my husband." She said formally and Kitsune gave a curt bow to her. Just because she had a higher rank didn't mean she held no respect for people underneath her. She was the wife of Uchiha Fugaku, the current Clan Head of the Uchiha Clan.

"Sasuke-chan, can you help me in the kitchen?" Sasuke wasn't stupid. He knew that he shouldn't bother them when they were talking with his father. Whoever the guest was, despite the short height, Itachi respected that person seeing how he let the cloaked figure to step in the house first and walk in front of him.

"Okay Okaa-san." He said happily and followed her back into the kitchen, to help her set up three cups of three and maybe something light to eat while they discussed something important.

"This way" Itachi lead her into the house, walking pass few rooms and entered a fairly large room. It was obvious that it was used for meetings. In the middle of the room, there was a table, big enough to fit five people. Itachi brought out three cushions, one for her, him and his father. He placed his next to her and the last one for his father to the opposite side. She discarded her cloak and placed next to her as it was bad manners and sat next to him, but her mask still intact on her face. Minutes later, Itachi's mother came in with three cups or recently brewed green tea. She tried to look confident as the matriarch of the Uchiha Clan, but seeing her mask and cloak crumbled her confidence. Being in presence of someone higher rank than Itachi and to see that the ANBU was clearly younger than her son made her shiver mentally at her strength. All shinobis knew that ANBU with white cloak and masks with red stripes meant that person was ANBU taichou.

"Thank you" She thanked her and judging from her reaction, she knew that the Uchiha matriarch didn't expect someone so young hearing her voice. From the door, Itachi and Kitsune saw Sasuke trying to peak in wanting to know the mysterious person. The same shock was evident that someone who was similar age as him was so strong.

"Sasuke, go back to your room." The boy jumped at his father's sudden voice behind him. Looking back, he saw his father looking at him and immediately, he went upstairs but went to the kitchen first to grab the scroll to read further in his room. His wife left the room a second later, knowing not to interrupt them.

"ANBU-san, is there something important you must discuss with us and why Itachi is here?" Uchiha Fugaku asked looking at his eldest son for a second. He wanted to know why he had come home so early, neglecting his ANBU work and why he wasn't in his uniform but his usual clan clothes.

"Itachi is back early because I have granted him a leave for the rest of the day and tomorrow." She replied back, giving him vague information as possible. It was a habit that she got after being in ANBU for so long.

"A day off tomorrow?" _'But isn't there an important meeting amongst the taichous tomorrow? Why would Itachi miss it and why is she saying as if it was her who gave him today and tomorrow off from ANBU?' _He thought.

"Yes, being one of the hardest working and trustworthy member in ANBU, it was only right for me to grant him a day off." She said back and he knew not to push it. To have the right give a day off to an ANBU taichou, he knew she wasn't just a normal ANBU taichou just like Itachi. Only someone like the Hokage had the power to do to that.

"I came here today because I thought it was only right for you and your Clan to know this information. It concerns Itachi greatly." She began, changing the topic.

"What information?"

"Somehow within Konoha, someone had leaked information about Itachi's current position as ANBU fuku-taichou. To us, it isn't big but it is critical matters for our enemies know it. It even stated what mask Itachi currently has and that is something only Hokage and I know." She informed him and the Fugaku felt his body tense. To know his mask meant that only the Hokage knew, it confirmed his thought that she wasn't surely just any ANBU taichou.

"What it concerns me that, Orochimaru has gained that information." He felt his skin jump hearing the traitor. Even Itachi was looking at the ANBU. He hadn't heard anything of it. To think that the traitor would be after his eyes and life made his insides churn.

"Orochimaru?"

"Yes. We all know that he is obsessed Kekkei Genkais, especially with Sharingans. To know that Itachi is ANBU fuku-taichou and what mask he has, it means he will go to harder and dangerous missions that will danger his life constantly. The Sannin will take the advantage of it and will try to kidnap Itachi. This just doesn't count him but the rest of all Uchihas who goes to missions." She continued and the Uchiha Clan Head felt his blood drain away from his face.

"I know it isn't may place to ask, but for the safety of your Clan and Konoha, I ask for your permission to have my ANBU stationed around the outside of your compound until further notice that we are sure that he will not dare to come in within Konoha. I will choose the members alone with help of Hokage-sama if allow me." She asked and Fugaku didn't know how to reply to it. It didn't seem like Konoha was suspicious of them just because of their dark past; but again, to ask it so bluntly made him worry.

"If I allow it, is it possible for me to know their shifts and when they will change and how many ANBU would be guarding us? I mean no offence, but our Clan's past has always made Konoha wary of us." He replied back.

"Of course Uchiha-sama. That can be easily done." She said with complete honesty.

"Then, I will allow having ANBU guarding us." He said and she bowed at him.

"Thank you for your cooperation Uchiha-sama. The whole matter won't be longer than a month. Within a month, I'll visit again to inform you the news. Until further notice, please note your clansmen of the date they are leaving for missions and the area they sent to. If they disappear, not only it will be your Clan's right to retrieve them, it will also be within Konoha's jurisdiction to send a rescue team. But I hope for the best that none of it will happen and everyone to return safely with no problems." She said stood up. The meeting was finished.

"Uchiha-sama, I bid you for a good day. Itachi, I'll inform others of your absence and tell you about the meeting when you come back. Till then, have fun with your family." She said and gave another bow to Fugaku as his place as the Clan head. She grabbed her cloak and placed her hood back up before doing the ANBU classic disappearing act leaving the two Uchihas alone in the room.

"Itachi, just who is she?" He asked breaking the silence.

"I can't say Otou-sama. It's classified information." Itachi monotony replied, not letting a single emotion in his voice. Even if there was, only she could hear it. It showed how much she understood him when no one could.

"I see... but I want to know why you are taking a day off tomorrow when there is an important meeting you need to attend?" He asked but his son didn't reply back.

"You should know why Otou-sama. I'll be in my room. Excuse me." Without a word, Itachi left the room.

* * *

Sasuke couldn't concentrate on reading the scroll. Today was one of the very few days where his brother came home early, meaning there was time where he could ask to help him with his taijutsu stance. Shisui helped him couple of times but he wanted his elder brother to teach him. Every now and then, he looked at the door wanting to go out and see his brother but he shook his head knowing he shouldn't butt in to important matters they were discussing. Itachi never brought anyone home, especially someone from his work. He saw how his brother looked behind the small ANBU and knew that the ANBU was someone with higher rank than him. He didn't know the ranks went but knew one thing that Itachi respected her like how he respected the Hokage.

Sasuke played with the corners of the scroll, folding it and unfolding it multiple times to ease his exciting nerves. The day was getting better and better for him. First his brother came home early and tomorrow was his first day to school. If he was lucky enough, then maybe he could ask him to come with him to the academy. But Sasuke immediately forced himself to forget about it. He couldn't ask him to come to his entrance ceremony when he had a busy life as a member of ANBU? He had to do things more important than it.

Now feeling down that his brother won't be able to come, he jumped to his bed and hid face on the bed. Even in his room, he was alone; he didn't want anyone to see that he was crying. He was an Uchiha, son of Uchiha Fugaku, the Clan Head. Uchihas didn't cry and as a proud Uchiha just like anyone else, he had to bring his act together.

"Sasuke? Are you in there?" The boy looked up hearing somebody was calling him.

"I'm coming in." The voice said and the door opened. Behind the door, it was his brother Itachi. The meeting was finished. In a fast action, Sasuke jumped out from his bed to his brother, hugging him and in that moment, all of his work to not cry broke down. Itachi patted his head, smiling fondly.

"What's wrong Sasuke? Why are you crying?" His brother asked, lowering himself to match height with him. Using it as his advantage, Sasuke swung his arms around his neck tightly, never letting him go.

"Y-You c-can't come to my e-entrance ceremony t-tomorrow. You're t-t-too busy to come. Otou-san and Okaa-san are busy tomorrow just like you. No one will come with me." Sasuke hiccupped and Itachi mentally sighed. It was a good thing that he talked to Sou-taichou earlier before coming home or else, things would've been worse. A lot worse.

"Don't worry Sasuke. I'm not working tomorrow since I have a day off. I'll come with you tomorrow." He reassured his younger brother and hearing the news, Sasuke looked at him with surprised eyes.

"R-Really? Y-You're not lying?" He asked and Itachi smiled at him. It was a good thing that he never left for a leave. This was his first leaving ever since he joined ANBU.

"I'm not lying Sasuke. Why would I miss such an important day?" He murmured and rubbed Sasuke's back to make him feel better. It was a good choice to check on him after he felt something was wrong with him. He didn't know how to break the news to him but things were better now and he took the news better than he expected to be.

"Come on Sasuke. No more crying. Let's go out. It's been too long since we spent time together." He said and lifted his brother with no problem despite his weak body he was born in. Using just using the right amount to of Chakra to circulate in his muscles didn't hinder him too much as what his father and others first believed in.

* * *

Kitsune landed in front of the Hokage once more, this time in his office rather than waiting outside. She had to tell the short meeting she had with the Uchiha Clan head and the rest of the information she read on Neko's report. The news that Orochimaru found out Itachi's rank in ANBU wasn't the only news. She didn't lie to them as what she told them concerned their Clan, but what she was going the Hokage was something only she and Neko along with her squad currently knew.


	2. Chapter 2

**Fixed-June 18 2012**

* * *

**No more Hiding**

**Chapter 2**

* * *

The Hokage stared at the ANBU in front of him, blinking at the news he just received. He didn't mind her deciding matters such as having ANBU stationed around the Uchiha compound to prevent his former student from kidnapping any Uchihas if he ever managed to infiltrate Konoha without raising the alarms. He wasn't known to be one of the Sannin or known as a genius for nothing. What worried him was that how in the first place had the information about Itachi's rank in ANBU had leaked to his enemies and Orochimaru had heard of it. To make it worse, Neko and her team who left to kill two smug dealers had close connections to him. It was only a coincidence that they found this information and needed a sorting immediately. A mouse was hiding within the trees. Whoever the spy was, he or she was good. To find out such highly classified information and leak it without him or others knowing it in the first place, but that wasn't all. It wasn't his first time to hear it, but to know that Orochimaru was building his own village from another person was troubling.

Ta no Kuni. It was a small country, but was also a neighbor of Hi no Kuni. He had heard it once by his other student Jiraiya few months ago, but back then he didn't want to believe it. Even though knowing the truth with confirmation, he couldn't act irrationally and send his shinobis to the area as there was a high possibility that others would see it as a threat and declaration of war.

"Kitsune, I trust you who will be chosen to guard the Uchihas. I will handle the matter concerning Orochimaru and his building village. Before you send them, don't forget to send the list of ANBU who will be stationed there as we can't have unauthorized ANBU in the area." He said and she nodded back understanding to her order. She also had to find out the spy who dared to steal the information. The documents were held in the Shinobi library, in the forbidden sections. It was hidden by five layers of Genjutsu and the place itself was unseen. The information was in codes and so only someone with high knowledge of codes used in Konoha ever since it's founding could break it. Even then, there were Chakra sensitive seals to prevent for the information to be stolen from the place by sealing it within in a scroll or summon it in one way or another.

"Dismissed" Instantly, she was gone from the office, already heading for one of the entrance to the Headquarters, her mind rapidly calculating to think which members were suited for the job. There were quite a few ANBU to spare but she had to be careful how many to send in case Konoha was attacked. Just like the day Kyuubi was suddenly summoned to attack Konoha, that day proved that anyone could attack their village. That day, not only they lost nearly a third of their shinobi populations and a fourth of civilian population, Konoha lost Yondaime Hokage. They were still recovering from the attack and couldn't have another attack and lose Sandaime alone with more shinobis. Konoha just back its normal number of shinobis and couldn't afford to lose it again. Even then, she was sure that no one would dare to attack them again. If they did, she was going to make sure none of them would leave Konoha alive, not on her watch.

_'Twenty members will do. Squad 7 and Squad 10.' _She thought. They were the most capable ANBU squads to send and have the highest possibility of great success. ANBU members aren't just divided randomly when they join ANBU. They are tested to see where they would work best. There was a reason why she was sending Squad 7 and 10, not some random Squads to guard the outside of Uchiha compound when there was a chance they will fail. Squad 2, 7 and 10 specialized in tracking and capture. Maybe she could ask a favor to her senior, Kakashi-senpai since he used to be taichou of Squad 2 in his ANBU days. His summons would help a lot.

Quickly entering the hidden door, she wasted to time to dash through the dark corridor and bypassing the usual securities. Paperwork can wait. She had no time information when the news had leaked. She had to act quickly and effectively in case for the worse that the Hebi Sannin was already within Konoha walls.

"Fall in!" She shouted and in a split second, countless of ANBU appeared in front of her in straight lines standing with their Squads. Taichous stood in front and behind them stood fuku-taichous. All had their masks on and full ANBU uniform. The only people missing were Karasu, fuku-taichou of Squad 2 and Nezumi of Squad 3. All Squads were on the ground floor, Hunter nins on the first half the first floor, General ANBU on second half standing beside the Hunter nins with their respective commander standing in front, T&I Divisions on the second floor with Morino Ibiki and Yamanaka Inoichi standing in front, Medical Division on the third floor with Goshi Hadeki as Head Medic in ANBU along with the Strategy Division with Nara Shikaku as the Head of the Division. It was a rare sight to see nearly every Division in ANBU to be called for something.

"We have founded that our top secret has been leaked out the village and confirmed that there will be a possibility Orochimaru will infiltrate Konoha to steal Sharingans, especially Itachi's from the information we have found out. I want Squad 7 and Squad 10 to guard the outside of the Uchiha compound at all cost. Squad 2, Squad 5 and Squad 6, I want you to find any possible clues outside Konoha that Orochimaru as approached this far. I want all General Division to search within the walls for any trace of the traitor and spy. Strategy Division will come with scenarios that could possibly happen and make a counter plans for all of them. The rest of all Squads will check the perimeters of Konoha. Any foreign shinobis will be captured at all cost. T&I Division extract as much information you can without breaking them too much. All Hunter nins will cease hunting nuke nins until further notice and will concentrate on finding Orochimaru. Every Squad, I want three medics accompaning everywhere inside and outside of Konoha. We are dealing with Orochimaru not some weak nuke nins! Is that all clear?" She shouted, amplifying her voice with Chakra. Her cloak fluttered against all the movements she made when she assigned their jobs.

"Hai!"

"Dismissed!" In a blink of an eye, the place was empty except for Sou-taichou. She let out a big sigh in slight frustration to think how someone had managed to leak such classified information without anyone knowing it. Her hand twitched as she was urged to throw something or smash something.

**'Don't act so irrationally. That will only be your downfall.'** She heard a familiar voice echoing in her mind.

_'I know. Don't worry.' _She muttered back to him in her mind and heard him chuckle.

**'Just saying.' **

She bit both of her thumbs and went through a sequence of handseals before slamming both of hands to the ground and felt a fair amount of her Chakra burnt by the technique. In a mass puff of smoke filled the whole area and as it diminished, it revealed fifty red foxes with multiple tails in front her waiting for her order.

"Naru-sama" They chorused together with their heads down at ultimate respect.

"I want all of you to find the spy who leaked the information. Find the mouse and bring that pesky animal to me." She ordered, her bad habit to call people animals surfacing once more with her anger. She was not angry. No, she was absolutely _furious_! Whoever the spy was, it was all pointed for Itachi. The bastard wanted Itachi's eyes and as his superior, it was her job to protect him and there was no way, she was going to let anything happen to him. As long as she was the supreme commander of all ANBU, all of them who carried the ANBU tattoos on their left shoulder were her responsibility until the end of her life.

"I'm going rip the bastard apart limb by limb by my bare hands. No one will touch _anyone_ in ANBU as long as I am alive!" She growled and the foxes howled together with her, responding to her anger and fury. Having the strongest Biju since the day she was born, her animal instinct to protect was stronger than anyone in the village. Even stronger than the Inuzuka Clan.

Her summons disputed themselves to small groups before disappearing to the shadows. They weren't just demon foxes. All fifty of them specialized in tracking and had an ability to travel in shadows. They were known as Yami no kage, shadows of darkness. This platoon of foxes weren't summoned a lot but when they were, it was always about finding a prey who had managed to burn off all of her long fuse of patience. She was a hard person piss off as she always had controls over her emotions but once they were on the loose, it was like having another Kyuubi on rampage with the only difference that it was concentrated on selected people. The longer the fuse, the bigger the bomb. Whoever was on the end of it, that person was in for a long and _very _rough ride. It was one of the unwritten rules in Konoha that everyone in ANBU, Jounins, the Hokage and maybe a few outside learnt. _Never_ piss off Kitsune Sou-taichou unless you wanted to see your maker soon.

* * *

Somewhere in the village, a fourteen year old medic-in-training Kabuto felt a cold shiver slither down his spine. He didn't know why, but knew that he would have to watch his back and be careful from now on. It was a challenge to bypass all the securities that surrounded the information without raising a single alarm. To break the codes were at least ten times harder. Being born outside Konoha, some information were classified for him to know and had to gather them all by himself. All of them weren't easy information to gather in the first place but having enough to break the hardest codes in Konoha, made him feel satisfied of his own work. It was insane to think that the information would be covered by codes and coded again with other different sets of codes. He had to repeat the same process over and over again at least 5 times and to think that there would by multiple answers made him more confused to think which one was the true information. But nonetheless he broke it and was worth it.

That was what he thought and believed in.

* * *

Hurriedly finishing the needed scrolls to give it to the Hokage and Uchiha Fugaku, she dashed out from the Headquarter with the maximum speed powered by Chakra. She needed to give this to Sandaime first then visit the Uchiha compound. Standing on a random roof, she placed her hand behind her mask and whistled in a very high pitch. People from the streets looked her owlishly as if it was their first time to see an ANBU active and outside. Seconds later, a loud screeched sounded in the air and a black blur landed on her shoulder. A hawk.

She had no time to spare. She still had to think up a plan for the worst scenario, which was that Orochimaru was already in the village. If then, she would have to evacuate all civilians and Genins. Meaning, she would have to talk to Sandaime about which Chunins to be stationed with them. She knew her ANBU the best while her leader knew other shinobis the best. But she couldn't act right away. She still needed proof that Orochimaru was in the village, hiding like a snake he was. Till then, she had to control herself before she did anything regrettable for her whole life.

"Give this to Hokage-sama. Thanks Kuro." She whispered into the hawk's ear and placed one scroll into the bag that hung securely on its back. The hawk screeched loudly before taking off to his destination and mission. Seeing the hawk fly high into the sky, she jumped to one direction, heading for the Uchiha compound.

* * *

In one part of the Uchiha forest, Itachi looked up into the sky hearing the familiar screech. She wasn't calling him in, but something else. Ever since she had left his house, he felt uneasy. Sasuke was too young and inexperienced too notice it, but he felt his comrades' Chakra signatures everywhere.

_'This must be the guards that Sou-taichou talked about.' _He absently thought and brought his younger brother closer to him for protection. It wasn't hard to think that Orochimaru would come to his most hated village for his clan's cursed eyes. After all, to have an ability to copy techniques after watching it the first time, to someone obsessed with Jutsus, it was like heaven granting him a path to ultimate power and immortality.

"Aniki? Are you okay?" Sasuke asked, his innocent black eyes looking right into his own.

"It's nothing Sasuke. Just thinking." He replied, ruffling Sasuke's hair making it messy. He wasn't going let that traitor hurt his family. Not even Sasuke. Sasuke was his treasure and no one was going to take his little brother away from him.

"Neh Aniki, who was the ANBU back home? How did she become ANBU that young? What rank does she have? Is her rank higher than yours or is it the opposite?" His brother babbled on asking questions about Sou-taichou. Itachi just knew that his comrades around the area were finding the situation amusing. They didn't know the reason why Itachi was off duty, but that was none of their concern. They knew Sou-taichou would explain it when the things calmed down a bit.

"You know I can't tell things about my work Sasuke. Maybe next time, when things are better." Itachi smiled faintly and poked his brother's forehead with his two fingers. He knew how much Sasuke hated it, but his facial expressions were just so cute. Everyone who has seen it would agree it with him.

"Aww, come on Aniki. You never say anything about your work. Please..." Sasuke begged, holding to his shirt and making a kicked puppy face. Even a genius like Itachi found it hard to resist his brother's face, but he knew better than say anything crucial and secret about anyone in ANBU. That was against one of the laws that Shodaime Hokage made and he knew that he would be kicked out from ANBU with minimum of three months suspension and house arrest.

"Can't say Sasuke." He replied finally and as his little own revenge for using that trick against him, he pinched Sasuke's cheeks to annoy the hell out of him. It was unusual sight for ANBU to see Konoha's residential ice prince to act so lovingly and caringly to his brother when not even his parents could make him smile or show a single emotion. That showed how much Itachi cherished Sasuke and loved him more than anyone in the village.

"I know! She's your girlfriend!" He exclaimed loudly and that was where the ANBU completely lost it. Screw being all silent and secretive. This was just purely rich. Uchiha Itachi and their Sou-taichou? The Uchiha was five years older than her and there was no way, they liked each other like that. Sure, everyone in ANBU knew that Sou-taichou spent more time with Karasu aka Itachi but that was because he needed most care amongst all of over three hundred members in ANBU. Not even Itachi knew of himself but Kitsune instantly knew that he was a fragile child at heart and needed the most care of all. It wasn't anything personal. Everyone went through the same thing when she became Sou-taichou two years ago. Even though she was a child, no one in ANBU saw her as a child. In body she was a seven year old child, but inside, she was a veteran kunoichi with experience and took cared them like a huge family.

"It's nothing like that Sasuke. Get your mind out of the gutter!" Itachi exclaimed in shock. How the hell did he even managed to get to that _impossible _conclusion in the first place? For a split second, Itachi's eyes narrowed a bit but returned to normal instantly, too fast for anyone to see. _Who _in the right mind had dared to corrupt his dearest brother's innocent mind? He mentally growled but made sure his Sharingans weren't activated. There was no need to scare Sasuke, but he was going to find out the culprit and give a piece of his mind. He didn't care for the ANBU who were on the floor dying in laughter. They could be handled later on. His only target was the culprit and he had one person in mind who would do this. His dear cousin and best friend, Uchiha Shisui. He was going to have a very _enjoyable _spar with his dear cousin later on.

"What on earth happened here?" Sasuke jumped surprise at the new voice and jumped onto Itachi, who caught him with instant reflex. _'Sou-taichou' _He mentally greeted and gave her a small bow, too small for Sasuke to notice.

"I leave you lots to do something without my guidance for once and all I see is all of you laughing your heads off, not even daring to conceal yourself." She scolded them, looking at the fallen ANBU behind the bushes and trees. All of them were on their feet hearing her voice, but she still saw their shoulders shaking as they tried to hide their laughter from her. She had momentarily forgotten that Squad 7 and Squad 10 were the cheekiest members in ANBU. All cheeky and acting like children every single time. It wasn't that bad since it was good to have some light in the dark isolated job, but sometimes they annoyed her too much.

"It's you ANBU-san!" Sasuke greeted her excitingly and Itachi just _knew_ that things weren't going to end well.

"Are you Aniki's girlfriend? Because he's not saying anything about you, so are you?" The boy asked and once again, the ANBU fell to the ground, unable to keep their laughter in. They were going to be so much trouble just like last time when they were joking around and was nearly exposed in a mission, but this time, it was worth it and didn't regret a single thing. The only thing they regretted was not having a video camera to record the whole thing and sell it to others. They'll be rich and especially, the kunoichi ANBU were going to love the couple! Their untouchable Sou-taichou and Konoha's residential ice prince; Uchiha Itachi together!

"_W-What?_ What kind of nonsense are you talking about?" She asked, trying her best to ignore her tenant's uncontrollable laughter and teasing along with her growing blush one her cheeks behind her mask, but they didn't need to know that.

"I deeply apologies for my brother's outburst. He doesn't know what he is talking about." Itachi apologized and covered his brother's mouth shut with his hand before he could talk again and regret it. It wasn't his time to meet his maker yet.

"Please give this to your father Itachi _and_ _the meeting is cancelled_." She handed the scroll over to him and muttered the last part quietly, only for him to hear. He nodded and she disappeared to thin air. He let out a sigh. Seriously, Sasuke was going to give him grey hairs before he passed twenty. How in the heaven's name could he come to such conclusion? Why... why did it come to this out of all? Him and Sou-taichou? Seriously? He didn't like her that way. He respected her most in the village along with the Hokage. That was all and nothing more like what his brother 'suggested'.

"Let's go home Sasuke. I have to give this to father." He said and guided his brother out from the forest but not without giving a hard look to his ANBU comrades daring them to spread the news unless they wanted to feel his wrath. He mentally smirked seeing them shiver slightly and knew that his threat was passed. They were lucky that they weren't in his Squad, or else they would be running the hell away from him and his insane training method he just thought of just for them, maybe with some help from former Inu taichou, Kakashi-senpai.

* * *

Back in the T&I department, they already had three spies chained up with Chakra absorbing cuffs on their hands and feet, wisely apart to prevent any movements and handseals. Better be safe than sorry.

Konoha's top three interrogators stood in front of the three caught spies, thinking how they would torture them. It's been a while they got some toys to play with, so if they wanted their new shiny toys to last longer, they couldn't do anything extravagant or else they'll break like a twig. _'Let's play with them a little.' _They thought together and looked at each other discretely. They had no idea when a new batch would come in, so they had to play carefully with them but that didn't mean they couldn't have their beloved fun.

"So... who wants to go first?" Ibiki drawled, looking at the petrified spies lazily. The spies knew their reputations. Ibiki and Anko were famous for physical torture though Ibiki also specialized in mental torture and Inoichi was famous for mind walking, a family technique. They heard rumors how none of the spies who were tortured by them regained their sanity or the fact that they won't give in until they had the information they wanted.

"I'd go for to give them to Sou-taichou. She sounded pissed back then." Anko replied, sitting on a chair with the back facing the front.

"Oh yeah, she sounded down right pissed. What'ya say Inoichi-senpai?" Ibiki looked at the platinum-blonde haired man.

"But if we do that, I'd doubt she'll extract any information. Do you remember last time when a spy stumbled to her by accident?" He asked and every person in the room shivered as if the Shinigami was standing behind them with his knife out ready to cut them open for their souls.

"Who can forget it? That was down right brutal. I nearly felt sorry for the mate. Bad luck really. Real bad luck to run into her when she was in real bad mood." A T&I member mumbled and other nodded agreeing to him remembering the gory memory. Being out of the conversation, there was no need to eavesdrop. They were talking right in front of them and hearing about their mysterious supreme commander, fear grew inside them. To make the three top interrogators like that made him wonder how terrifying their Sou-taichou was.

"But she needs to calm down or it'll be us and thank you very much, I like to live longer." Anko objected and over half of the people agreed to her. There was no way in hell; they were going to suffer from it.

"So sending them to their deaths will calm her down?" Ibiki asked her sarcastically pointing to the chained spies. They all gulped in absolute fear. They didn't know what to choose. Get tortured by the most sadistic people in Konoha or be _murdered _by the mysterious Sou-taichou who they all seem to fear and yet respect greatly.

"Someone managed to decode the highest and secretive information in Konoha that was created by Shodaime and leaked it outside. Orochimaru got it and now everything's like this. How do you think she's feeling right now? Itachi's life is in danger and all of you should know that she cherishes that boy." She replied and complete silence ruled the room. A second later, blood drained from their faces. Screw the teasing. This was serious. If she ever found out something happened to the Uchiha heir, _they _wouldn't be safe from her wrath.

"Okay, who says to give them to Sou-taichou?" Inoichi asked out loud and everyone raised their hands agreeing to the matter to the spies' horror.

"That's done, but who's going to give them to her?" He asked again and silence was the reply.

"Shit. Didn't think that far." Anko muttered under her breath and chewed her dango's empty stick with her teeth. No one sane would go near her with the spies who had the possibility to decode the near impossible codes in Konoha. If it happened to be one of the three spies here, hell would be released and no would survive from it.

"Didn't think what far?" Everyone flinched at the new voice. The foreign shinobis didn't recognize the voice but others did. Her voice was in control more than ever and just by seeing her slightly twitching hands made them pale. They knew that sign. She wanted to throw something and break everything apart she can grab. In an unsaid command, the group of interrogators split into two, opening a path for a small ANBU who wore ANBU's typical white cloak and red streak mask indicating her rank.

"S-Sou-taichou" Anko stuttered slightly, her hands playing with the hem of her trench coat's arm at the growing tension in the air at her sudden arrival.

"Ah, I see you've caught some spies already. Good. The faster we get this done, the faster we can get the pesky mouse who dared to steal the cat's fish." She spoke calmly and recognizing her habit; Ibiki, Anko and Inoichi took a step away from her, giving her full way to the chained spies with no interference. The spies looked at her with terror and fear plastered on their face, to see that this short ANBU was the very fearsome Sou-taichou they heard about.

She stopped in front of them and lowered herself to match to their heights. They could see her cold and furious blue eyes behind the grinning fox mask which gave them shivers.

"Three Iwa spies? What can I do for you three gentlemen?" She asked politely but from her voice, they heard the hidden threat. _Play fairly and I might consider freeing you._

"Will you surrender your information willingly, do this in the old fashion way of trial and error or maybe play my favorite game of 'Pop the cherry'. Which one do you prefer? In my opinion, I want to play 'Pop the cherry'. How about you?" She asked and all men behind her widened their eyes. All men knew what she was talking about and felt sorry for them despite the fact that they were enemies since the Second Great Shinobi War. This time, she was seriously pissed and no one, not even the Hokage would be able to hold her back until her anger demised back to hell. Last time she was this pissed was when some no name nuke nins had the courage to use underhand methods to take five of her ANBU as hostage when the ANBU Squad was on a hunting mission after some three B-rank nuke nins. She had personally hunted them down like preys, playing them around mercilessly like a cat. The land where the nuke nins were hiding were completely demolished and unless you knew the place, no one was able to recognize the area anymore.

They knew nothing of the game she was suggesting but despite its innocent name, they felt dread and their gut instincts were screaming at them not to choose it.

"Well? I don't have all time you know." She mocked them and took a step closer, freaking them out slowly.

"W-We won't sell out our village!" The left spy shouted at her with all the courage he managed to gather. He was a faithful and proud shinobi of Iwagakure land there was no way he was going sell out his home village. He had a pride as a loyal shinobi of his village.

"Really? That's sad. I wanted to play with you, you know. How about you two?" She looked at them, her head slightly tilted to look innocent but she was far from it just by looking at her clothes.

"N-Never! We will never betray our home!" The remaining spies shouted giving the same answers as the first one.

"That's a pity." She sighed and stood up, bored from the game. Not they knew it; she already gathered all the information she needed. They weren't needed anymore.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot." She stopped from the door and turned around.

"Whatever information you came here to confirm, it's all false... well except for one but that's for you to find out... if you can. Other than that, all information you gathered are made up. Our Shodaime Hokage was a true genius when it came to codes. Only Sandaime-sama can decode the code successfully. After all, he was trained by Shodaime-sama." She said mockingly and they paled at the thought of all the information they sent back to their village.

"Dispose of them and send back their heads to the Tsuchikage. He wouldn't dare to pull another stunt like this anymore unless he wants to start a collection of his shinobis' heads daily sent to him." She ordered and left them, dumbfounded by the sudden information. They hadn't known it until now. So, she wasn't angry because the information leaked but from that someone was capable to doing such things.

"Well... You heard her." Anko ordered her minions and they instantly went to work. The spies squirmed around, clearly not wanting to be killed. Who liked to be killed in the first place? Two shinobis each carried the spies away to an isolated area to killed them, since it would be a problem to wash all the blood off. At least none of them suffered from her wrath. They'd rather face a battalion of Iwa shinobis and Orochimaru than her wrath. Yep, she was that scary. Just like her mother.


	3. Chapter 3

**Fixed-June 18 2012  
A/N: **I have a two polls up in my profile. It would be greatful if you answer them since there are so many possibilities I could continue this story. The next chapter will be decided depending on what you have chose in the polls. Thanks and see you on my next chapter.

* * *

**No more Hiding**

**Chapter 3**

* * *

As soon as the second hand of the clock pointed to twelve, the ringing noise erupted loudly, filling up the room. Immediately, Sasuke jumped out from his bed, still in his sleeping attire and ran to the next room. Itachi's room.

"Aniki! Wake up! It's already seven!" He shouted and bashed the door open, not caring if he was going to give his dear brother a heart attack. Being a light sleeper, Itachi was already awake by his brother's footsteps from the corridor, but the loud crashing of his poor door against the door wasn't accounted for. On reflex, he had whipped out a hidden kunai from his pillow and positioned himself to a defense form, subconsciously placing back against the wall and away from the source of the noise. His Sharingans were already activated, ready to put an illusion on the enemy or disrupt the illusion. He took no notice his long hair blocking his some of his view knowing sudden movement can well cause his death by the hands of his enemy who somehow managed to creep into his house and room.

It took him a few seconds to get back to his senses, remembering it was only his hyper brother and no enemy. By the surprised look on his face, Itachi suspected that Sasuke wasn't expecting this reaction from him. Sigh, his brother was seriously going to be the death to him. He swatted his hair away from his face and mentally noted to tie his hair up before he was urged to cut it right off with his kunai. Having long hair sometimes annoyed him to no end. Why had he grown his hair in the first place? Oh yeah, he looked weird with short hair when his face looked feminine enough. Many people told him he looked liked his mother when he was young and the same went to Sasuke. Sasuke had the same eyes as mother. He too had it but it was more like between his father and mother while Sasuke's eyes were perfectly alike to her eyes. Some still told him the same thing, most being the elders in the civilian Uchiha district. His mother's genes were stronger than his father's to get a feminine face. Apparently from he had heard from the elders, Sasuke looked like a male version of his mother when she was about his age.

"Sasuke... How many times did I tell not to do that?" He rubbed his temple in slight annoyance and placed his kunai away where it was hidden in the first place. It was always like this in the morning. His official duty as a member of ANBU didn't start till 0800 hours, therefore this was very frequent. Judging by his little brother's sheepish grinning face, Itachi knew that his brother had forgotten it..._again_. Sasuke had done this too many times that he already lost the count how many times the outcome was always as this. Maybe he should move in to avoid getting awaken like that. He was too young to get grey hairs, but if he did that, Sasuke would throw a tantrum and _that _will make him get grey hairs even before he passed his sixteenth birthday. Either way, he was going to get grey hairs before he passed twenty.

"Eh he he he... gomen (sorry) Aniki." Sasuke laughed nervously, knowing how his brother would get annoyed by this, but this time he had a good reason and couldn't help himself.

"Sasuke, the school doesn't start till eight thirty. Why did you wake up so early?" He looked at his brother who fidgeted at the mention of school.

"I was too excited?" It came out more like a question than an answer he expected. Oh well, he was going to let this one slide for today. He was aware how Sasuke was thrilled of being enrolled to the academy.

Sighing at his brother's lost cause, he dragged his hand down his face and was urged to groan loudly. It wasn't normal for him to express emotions like this but he couldn't help it when it came to his younger brother. He could control his emotions and feelings in front of all Uchihas including his parents but not even once he was able to do the same thing to Sasuke.

"... If I were you, I would change my clothes first. I'm sure you don't want to go to school in your pajamas." He said and as soon as his word left him, Sasuke was already gone, back to his own room to change.

"Don't forget to wash first." He called out loudly; making sure his message was passed on. Sasuke was still a clumsy child when he was hyper and that made him to forget some things along the way. He slightly winced when he heard Sasuke fall to the ground, followed by a yelp. Sigh, Sasuke seriously needed to slow down. The academy wasn't going to run away or anything. They had lots of time before his first day of school started. The academy was only ten minute walk away, but knowing his little brother too well, Itachi just knew Sasuke was going to either demand to carry him to he can within less than five minutes or shunshin to the area. Typical child. They get excited over such trivial matters.

Pushing away from the wall, Itachi went into the bathroom, wanting to have a quick shower before his brother decided to come in again and embarrass both of them. No, it wasn't the first time when it had happened. This was one of incident that he would _never_ tell anyone. Not even his fellow ANBU. They would never live it down.

* * *

By the time Itachi came out with a towel around his shoulder and another towel covering the bottom half, the time was twenty past seven. Morning shower always soothed his muscles from staying one position too long. He still had another hour to spare before he needed to leave with Sasuke if they wanted to arrive in time. He ruffled his hair with the towel to get most of the water out and used a minor futon jutsu to dry his hair. A nifty technique he learnt from his commander when she came in dripping wet one day because Kakashi-senpai thought it was fun to wake her up with a bucket of cold water. Of course, she got him back ten fold by stealing his Icha-Icha limited VIP collection which was all signed by the author with _extra_ detailed ending in every book. She had four ANBU to prevent him from buying any extra copies, leaving him porn-free for two weeks. He was so depressed for the rest of the week and the week after before she thought his punishment was enough and gave it back to him. Since then, he made no motions to prank her; afraid of the consequences he would have to suffer. It was quite an amusing sight and entertainment for everyone in ANBU. Even now, the teasing and jokes were still around amongst them, never getting old.

Combing his hair neat, Itachi grabbed a red strip of cloth to tie his hair low. Tying it high made him look like a complete girl which no man would willing to look like one unless a dare and was uncomfortable. Tying it low was just perfect for him.

Knowing that Sasuke would charge into his room again to drag him down for breakfast any second, Itachi quickly changed into a black Uchiha shirt with the Uchiha symbol on the back and a black pants. He wrapped his ankles and wrists with rolls of bandages, doing the same thing for his right thigh before placing his shuriken hoister on it. He grabbed his waist pouch on the desk next to his closet and strapped it on his waist. From his waist pouch, he found his hitai-ate and a pair of fingerless gloves which had metal plates sewed on the back. He didn't put them on since it would be uncomfortable when eating breakfast.

Mentally checking everything was in order and done, he headed for the door, only to be open automatically and suddenly found himself on the floor with his brother lying on top of him. His predictions were never wrong when it came to his brother.

"Sasuke... please get off. You're heavy." He said calmly, though the last comment was just a little revenge for nearly giving him a heart attack. Sasuke wasn't heavy at all but he didn't need to know that and that one comment would annoy him the whole day. There was one thing that not even Sasuke knew of about himself. He reacted like a girl when it came to about his weight. It was very amusing to see his reactions that would be normally seen by a girl.

"Aniki, I'm not fat." Sasuke pouted cutely and got off for his brother to stand up rather than on the cold floor.

"I never said you were." He twisted his words and mentally smirked seeing his brother's face go a bit red. It never got old from teasing Sasuke endlessly. It was always entertaining to rile him up just like how Sou-taichou teased the newbie ANBU for fun. They couldn't see the difference between her orders whether she was being serious or joking. It embarrassed them to no end when they did things that they weren't suppose to do. It was one of the things that all ANBU enjoyed having a new batch every six months. For the first couple of months, they were like loyal dogs and did everything you asked with no hesitation. Other than that, no one particularly liked to have new ANBU. They acted so hyper to work in the shadows (in ANBU terms, they were hyper), not knowing the reality that it also meant putting your on the life more than being a Jounin. All the missions varied from a high B-rank assassination missions to S-rank missions, sometimes even going to SS-rank. Mission above S-rank were done by taichous and Sou-taichou but never a fuku-taichou or anyone below that rank unless they were specifically requested for the mission by the team leader. There weren't many of SS-rank missions so it didn't matter. He had been in ANBU for a year now and yet, he never seen SS-rank missions appear in the mission board. Few S-rank missions but never SS-rank. From what he had heard from others, S-rank missions and upwards were done in red sheet of paper to remind the danger and the importance of the mission. To go on the S-rank mission, you needed permission from the Squad leader and Sou-taichou.

"Come on Sasuke, Okaa-sama should be in the kitchen preparing breakfast and your bento (lunch box) for school." He said and dusted his pants and mentally reminded himself to have a good clean of his room when coming back. Dust was piling up and that was not good being a clean and tidy person. He liked his things to be clean. The same went for his weapons and uniform. He always cleaned off the blood from his kunai and tanto whenever he came back from mission. Blood made his weapons go rusty and he hated the smell of rusted metal.

Sasuke grinned happily at the thought of having his first lunch in school. He raced down the stairs leaving his amused brother behind, wanting to have breakfast and go to school. It was his first day and he had no wish to be late. He was an Uchiha and was going to keep up the pride as the second son of the Uchiha Clan Head, just like his brother when he went to the Academy just like him.

* * *

Back in the ANBU Headquarters, Kitsune paced around her office worriedly after she had read numerous reports from her ANBU. Most of them were good but some were bad. It was good to know that they had a complete solid proof that Orochimaru hadn't infiltrated Konoha, meaning the worst scenario was avoided, but unluckily they found recent traces of foot prints near Konoha. From the investigation, it proved to be someone about 180cm tall and about weighing about 60kg. It could've been just a coincidence but in shinobi lives, no such thing as coincidence existed in their dictionary and the measurement wasn't far off from Orochimaru's despite the information from the bingo book. It's been years since the last update and so there was a huge chance that it was Orochimaru.

From a shadowed corner, a demon fox appeared.

"Naru-sama"

"Report Kiyotsu." She ordered, keeping her words short. She had no time to spare. If they were actually dealing with a Sannin, she had get the Hokage's permission to call back Jiraiya, another fellow Sannin since Tsunade-hime's whereabouts was still unknown and even if they found her, the change of getting her back to close to nil.

"We haven't found the spy yet, but it is clear that the spy has clear connection with snakes. The library reeked of snakes... and for some reason; there was a tint of herbs mixed together." The fox replied back and she stopped on her spot. Herbs? Snakes? It couldn't be Anko because she knew she was a very loyal kunoichi of Konoha and even if she smelled of snakes, sweet smell of dango and red bean soup were always tainted it with it. Everyone in ANBU knew that she detested hospital like any other shinobis.

Shinobis died everyday or critically injured from failed missions. Unlike civilians in the village where they would be easily healed and released, shinobis died while in the process of surgery or even before arriving to the hospital. To every shinobis in the village, it was hell because it reminded them of their comrades' death, the constant reminder of failed missions and the failure to protect them. The pain never went away but they all got used to live with it. Going to hospital brought it all back and she was no different. She failed to protect many of her comrades in missions and saw them take their last breath. It reminded her lack of strength and power to protect them. Carrying that pain of their death for being so weak on her shoulder and soul, she trained ruthlessly to grow strong to protect them. She trained to death, getting injured from snapped and torn muscles from inhumane training method but that didn't stop her. Even with her broken body, she dragged herself to the training ground until she fell unconscious. Not even the Hokage was able to prevent her until she got what she wanted.

That was two years ago.

Kitsune growled slightly at the resurfacing wounds from thinking of the hospital. That only brought her more distressing thoughts of having her ANBU in hospital. She clenched her hand tightly into a fist, ignoring her sharp nails digging into her palm, she breathed in and out to calm herself. It wouldn't make anything better but worse.

"Were there any other smells? Something sweet?"

"No Naru-sama. Only herbs." Kitsune released the breath she was subconsciously holding. She was glad to know no one in ANBU betrayed their home. Though she wondered why there was a scent of herbs. Was it a medic? She couldn't point who was the spy but she was going to catch the mouse and will suffer her wrath.

"If it's herbs, there's a huge chance that the spy works as a medic or someone close to medics. Get half of your kin to guard the hospital and watch the place. I want that bastard found, kneeling in front of me." She ordered and at once the fox disappeared back into the shadow. It wasn't the news she was expecting, but nonetheless it was good news that they were getting close to the target. To work as a medic, whoever the spy was, he or she was clever. Medics were important to all villages since Art of Healing was one of the hardest, just after Art of Sealing.

She continued to pace again, thinking rapidly to make up the most sufficient plans if they had no choice but fight against the Hebi Sannin. So far, she had five different scenarios but all caused over twenty deaths of her ANBU. Something she couldn't afford to happen. She knew she and others were tools to be discarded after use for the sake of the village but they were also humans. She didn't know much about how other countries worked but Konoha never abandons a comrade. That was one of their codes that had been always kept since the founding. She honored that code and will follow to even it meant to sacrifice her life. One life was better than twenty.

"Damn it!" She shouted in fury and slammed her fist into the wall creating a spider crack and felt pain as her skin split open but ignored it. It was already healing. She looked at the clock on her desk. It was already 8:15. Nearly time for the academy, meaning she just had enough time to catch Itachi. She needed to tell him some things and maybe if she was lucky enough she might be able to catch Kakashi-senpai for extra help.

* * *

Outside, the ANBU Headquarters were empty except for few being mostly T&I Division and Strategy Division. They all jumped at their supreme commander's outburst in her room and knew not to disturb her. All of them at least stood three meters away from her door and continued to do their work but jumped again when the door slammed open. It wasn't like her.

She walked pass them, not even looking at them. Her white cloak swished behind her and few seconds later, the double door of their Headquarters slammed open just like her office door, her footsteps becoming fainter and fainter as she walked away.

"We'd better not annoy her for next few days." Shikaku muttered under his breath the silence in the air made his voice loud like a giant's. Everyone nodded, agreeing with Nara genius. It wasn't good to rile her up when the situation were like this. Not good at all. Her wrath hadn't come down and everyone knew it was going to be a while. Until the spy was caught they had no doubt she was going to be like that.

* * *

Sasuke and Itachi walked down the streets, Sasuke holding onto his bento and refusing to let go since it was his. Itachi sighed at his brother's antics but said nothing. He knew how stubborn he could be when he wanted to be. Another trait from mother. She was even capable of to whip his father into place whenever he was acting all grumpy and annoyed. A perfect wife indeed.

They had left quite early since Sasuke wanted to arrive to school riding behind his brother or either shushing to the area but since Itachi had refused to do so, he became paranoid and nagged him to leave early.

"Ne, Aniki, when is your girlfriend coming again?" Sasuke asked innocently and immediately, everyone around them silenced at the news. _The _Uchiha Itachi had a girlfriend? A perfect moment. Itachi felt a tick on his forehead, now urged to go and beat up Shisui for corrupting Sasuke' mind. Now because of him, some weird rumors about him and his 'girlfriend' will spread head and low in Konoha. Oh God, if his comrades heard it, they were going to tease him to no end if they ever find out who his 'girlfriend' was. Kakashi-senpai and Hokage-sama will kill him. He knew Kakashi-senpai adored Sou-taichou and Sandaime treated her like his granddaughter.

"Sasuke, she isn't my girlfriend. How many times to I have to tell you. She's someone from work and who I respect deeply. That's all and nothing more." He replied as calmly as he could, while trying his best to ignore the curious looks he got from the villagers. Not a good sign. From the corner of his eyes, he saw a group of girls, having a group discussion, no doubt about how to break his non-existing relationship.

"But I heard Shisui nii-san scream his head out about you bringing a girl home yesterday. Wasn't he talking about her?" He tiled his head slightly innocently. Oh dear, Shisui was in a very big trouble with him once he came back the academy. How had he not heard his screaming? Oh yeah, the short meeting with her and father was in a sound-proof wall. No wonder he didn't hear it.

"Shisui's lying. She may be the one who he was talking about but we have no such relationship. Don't listen to what Shisui says from now on." Itachi sighed deeply. He could already feel the migraine from the conversation.

"Then was he lying when he said that you had your first kiss last year?" Sasuke asked once more and from one corner, Itachi heard multiple high screeches. Why was he having this conversation with his brother in here? He was only twelve; of course he didn't have his first kiss yet! Hell, he never had a girlfriend in the first place! What kind of non sense was Shisui spreading about him behind his back?

"You know what Sasuke, I'll shunshin you to school-" The younger Uchiha beamed up happily. "-but no more talking till then. Whatever Shisui spreader around Konoha, they are all lies and I'm going to have a chat with him. Don't believe a single word he says. Is that clear?" Itachi asked his voice serious like the one he used when he was in ANBU. Thinking this as a mission, Sasuke nodded rapidly.

"Come here." Itachi motioned his brother to come closer and when he did, he placed his hand on Sasuke's shoulder. In a split second, leaves swirled around them and in a blink of an eye, they were gone. The only sign that they were there just a moment ago were the leaves lying in a circular motion in the middle of the street.

* * *

Itachi and Sasuke appeared next to the tree swing. Sasuke stumbled a bit but didn't fall down to the floor. Itachi lead him to the swing to sit down to allow him to gather his senses again. For the first timers, shunshin left behind some after effects, this being one of it. It wasn't permanent but the swirling visions and nauseous weren't something enjoyable. The paleness on Sasuke's face was quite disturbing. His skin never went pale like Sasuke when he first tried Shunshin and seeing this from his brother, it worried him deeply. He shouldn't have done it if he knew his brother reacted to the jutsu this much. He too suffered from the same thing when he first learned **Shunshin no Jutsu** for the first time but it wasn't worse as Sasuke. It took a while to get used to it and for his body to adapt to the sudden burst of speed. A slight dizziness and nauseous was all from what he had heard and read from the books from his Clan archive.

"Take deep and slow breaths Sasuke. It'll help you." _'Maybe it wasn't a good idea to use shunshin. I should've gone for the roofs.'_ Itachi thought to himself as he steadied his brother.

"Are you feeling better now?" Sasuke nodded and few minutes later the paleness on his face disappeared. Thank god it wasn't permanent. If Sasuke got sick on his first day, he would think he failed his family and that would be his fault. If his mother ever found out about this, no matter how strong he was, Itachi would be utterly defeated just like his father.

"You two are aware that the school doesn't start another for another ten minutes." The two Uchihas turned around, only to see one eyed grey-defying haired Jounin leaning against a tree not far away from them, reading an orange small book.

"Kakashi-senpai, it's good to see you." Itachi greeted politely his senior but his eyes told the man a whole different story. The elder Uchiha glared at the orange book and if it was possible to burn it just with his glare, it would've been burnt at least a hundred times. Feeling a danger towards his dear book, Kakashi placed his book back to his waist pouch. He already had the whole kunoichi population after it including his cute little sister Naru. He did not need another hater, especially an Uchiha. They wouldn't last a day.

"It's unusual for you to be here senpai." Itachi spoke calmly going straight into the point while Sasuke stood behind him with his head poking out in curiosity.

"Oh you know, while I was walking down the street, I heard some _very _interesting news." He said with his remaining eye turning into an upside down 'U'. Itachi held back a flinch knowing what the man was talking about.

"You know she's not going to be happy if she hears that you got yourself a girlfriend." Kakashi teased knowing the fact that the Uchiha prodigy wouldn't dare to lose his composure in front of his brother. This was his revenge against the Uchiha genius. He knew who Itachi's 'girlfriend' was and for the people to them like that, it was all Itachi's fault.

"I never knew you were a person to gossip." He replied back ignoring his hand twitching for weapons to throw it as his senior.

"I wouldn't normally, but it was just too interesting to ignore you see."

"You should know better that gossips are nothing but full of lies senpai."

"You would've done the same if it was about her."

"I would never do such disrespecting actions to my superior. Her personal life is none of my business. What she does is her own." This time, Kakashi knew he went slightly overboard with the teasing. He knew Itachi respected Naru greatly and to say such thing... he was glad that Sasuke was here or else, the Uchiha prodigy would've thrown a kunai at him when his guard was down.

"And I see you two bicker like headless chickens." They heard a new voice up from the tree. They looked up and Sasuke saw the same ANBU from yesterday.

"It's you ANBU-san!" Sasuke enthusiastically waved to her breaking the tension between the two shinobis. She waved back to him short but that was enough for Sasuke, who beamed happily. Jounin who breathed out in relief that his book was safely inside his waist pouch. If she saw his orange book, she would've practically stolen it from him and burn the book right in front of him just to antagonize and torture him mercilessly.

Itachi narrowed his eyes seeing his supreme commander out in this daylight and public for everyone to see her. Shinobi Academy was one of the places that attracted eyes from civilians and merchants out the village. To come on the opening day was very unusual for her. She wouldn't dare to risk her identity just to visit him in this manner unless there was something important to discuss.

"Sasuke, why don't you go and make some friends?" He nudged his little brother where the children of his age were gathering standing together with their parents, siblings and relatives.

"But Aniki-"

"I won't take long. I'm not going anywhere Sasuke." Itachi smiled at his brother and reluctantly Sasuke left the three shinobis alone. Making sure Sasuke was out of the hearing range, Kitsune jumped down from the tree, landing next to Kakashi who was being her shield from prying eyes. She had her mask and cloak on covering her distinctive blonde hair. She'd rather be safe than sorry. People in Konoha barely knew of her existence and even if some knew her, they only knew as her rank as ANBU taichou. The only people who actually knew were the most trusted in ANBU such as ANBU taichous, Karasu, Kakashi, the Hokage and some Jounins who worked in ANBU in previous years before their retirement from ANBU. Other than that, no one knew her. In the official records in Konoha, she technically didn't exist because it stated that she died few hours after she was born.

"We have confirmed that someone had been lingering around the perimeter for quite a while. From the information we gathered, there's a high possibility that it's Orochimaru." She informed and the two shinobis went rigid at the news. Itachi had never met the Sannin before but the stories he heard from others was more than enough for him to despise and hate the man with passion. Kakashi had met the snake few times at his Genin days whenever his sensei's sensei; Jiraiya the Sannin used to come back to Konoha for few days to report to the Hokage about our enemies in the Third Great Shinobi War. Now thinking about the white haired man, he hadn't seen that person for the seven years now. He left Konoha the day after his sensei's funeral which was held three days after his death. Since then, he didn't hear anything about the Gama Senin.

"I already have two squads protecting the district, but I can't get rid of the bad feeling in my gut. Itachi, I want you to stay within your home and guard them from inside. I hope we can wrap this up in one month just as I promised your father. Report to me of any suspicious actions around your Clan district from civilians and shinobis. If it's inside your Clan, report to your father. This is an S-rank mission. You cannot tell anyone about this unless it is necessary to. Is that clear?" Itachi nodded absently, still absorbing the information. This was his first S-rank mission ever since he joined ANBU. His father had requested for S-rank mission months ago but hadn't managed to convince Sou-taichou or the Hokage to give him one in the first place. They were like the most stubborn people in Konoha. Trying to convince them was the same as moving the Hokage Monument to Iwa.

"Hai Sou-taichou but how about my father? He would get suspicious of me if he sees me off duty." Itachi asked in concern. He already could feel the headache from the coming conversation with his father tomorrow after Sasuke was off to school.

"We cannot let anyone know this Itachi. I will send a hawk to pass a scroll to him by tomorrow afternoon. Tell him to wait for my scroll tomorrow. That should keep him off your back." She replied and the Uchiha nodded.

"Go to your brother now. He'll be worried if you don't go back for him." She said and giving a bow to her and to his senior, Itachi left them to converse without him. He heard what he needed to hear. The rest were none of his concern.

As soon as Itachi was gone, Kitsune turned to the former ANBU taichou.

"I know this matter doesn't concern you in any way senpai, but-"

"I'll summon my ninkens and ask them to guard the Uchiha district. Don't worry. I'll have them watch out for any suspicious people who smell like snakes. They know Squad 7 and Squad 10's scent unless there are new members they need to be aware of." She shook her head remembering the members of the two squads were still the same people.

"Arigatou Kakashi-senpai." She thanked him and he chuckled.

"I told you call me nii-san." He replied and patted her head before he pushed himself from the tree, to leave the area. Doing the same, she jumped back onto the tree and disappeared. There were still more reports to read and if she remembered it correctly, the ANBU caught more spies near Konoha. She was going to interrogate them personally after Ibiki, Anko and Inoichi had their long waiting fun.

* * *

Sasuke walked to the group of children about his age. They were all with their parents, brothers and sisters. The sight made him jealous. He only had his brother with him because mother and father were busy today with the Clan meetings. Something they couldn't avoid.

"Oi gaki. Aren't you Fugaku's son?" He heard a loud voice in front of him. Looking up, he saw a woman with long spiky brown hair standing next to a huge black dog that had a black eye pouch covering the right eye and missing left ear. Sasuke gulped at their animalistic look. The woman had two red fang marks and purple lipstick and dark shade. Her slit eyes made her look scarier. She wore a typical Jounin's attire including the green vest he saw from many shinobis. The dog wasn't any better. The black dog was bigger than an average wolf and the scars on his body. The black eyes with yellow pupils gave him shivers.

"H-Hai..." Sasuke meekly replied back and she grinned at him.

"How's he doing? Last time I saw him, he was nearly pulling his hair off from stress. I thought he'd go bald." She asked cheekily and crouched to his height. At this, Sasuke blinked owlishly. Pulling his hair off from stress? He never saw his father act like that.

"Otou-san is doing well and he's not bald yet." Sasuke replied back innocently and the woman barked in laughter along with her dog. He didn't understand why they were laughing.

"I like you gaki. What's your name?"

"Uchiha Sasuke. What's yours shinobi-san?" He asked and she patted his head.

"Inuzuka Tsume. Call me Tsume-san or something." She replied and ruffled his hair madly. He held back a pout when she messed up his hair.

"Kiba, come meet him." She barked loudly behind where he clan members were. They parted apart to allow a boy who had similar looks to Tsume treading along to her with a white puppy resting on his spiky hair.

"What Okaa-san?" He gruffly asked.

"Introduce yourself. He's in the same year as you." She said and dragged her son to face Sasuke.

"Inuzuka Kiba and he's partner Akamaru." Kiba introduced and the puppy on his head barked when his name was called as if he was greeting Sasuke.

"Uchiha Sasuke. Nice to meet you." He replied back and held his hand out. It was force of habit from his mother. She drilled manners into his body and mind until it became an automatic reaction. Kiba shrugged and took his hand.

This was start of their friendship.

"Sasuke" He heard someone call out his name. Looking back he saw his brother walking towards him. He was done talking with the ANBU and the weird looking Jounin. He tried to look for them but they weren't where he last saw them.

"Aniki" He ran to his brother and held his hand. He didn't want his brother to go away again. Not again. This was first time for the last eight months where he could spend time with him. Seeing his messy hair, Itachi raised his eyebrow by a hairline looking slightly amused at his state. With his free hand, he combed his hair as best as his hand could do.

"Uchiha Itachi. I've heard many things about you. A true genius of your generation." Tsume complimented, meeting the Uchiha prodigy for the first time. From what she and others knew, he had a very busy schedule. It was a rare sight to see him not in his usual ANBU uniform and doing missions.

"Inuzuka-san" He greeted the Clan Head politely.

"It's a rare sight for you're not working. I thought there was a monthly Taichou meeting." She asked him curiously. It wasn't a big news that the Jounins and higher knew of the meeting. It wasn't a secret. It was just that not many people knew of it.

"It has been cancelled due to sudden events and with Taichou's permission; I am off duty for a month." He replied and she widened her eyes at the news. A month off? An ANBU off duty for a _month? _Sasuke looked up at him in surprised eyes. He didn't know anything about this. So far, he only knew today was his last day. What changed to give him a month off? He was curious but wasn't complaining. Not at all. Next to her, Kiba looked at them owlishly, not understanding what they were talking about.

"That's new to hear someone like you having a month off from duty. Your father's not going to be happy with the news." She said knowing how Fugaku would react to hear that his eldest son was off duty from his ANBU work for a month. It was unheard of someone from ANBU off duty for that long. The maximum was two weeks so far she was aware of and even that was long.

"He will be but Taichou has that covered. Father will understand." He replied shortly, not giving out any unnecessary information. ANBU missions sand secrets were only known within ANBU and the Hokage. Not even the Hokage's advisors had the right to know anything about ANBU except for the vague explanation of their purpose and job in Konoha.

Itachi and Tsume talked a bit longer about their work and the current events that were going in Konoha. Sasuke and Kiba didn't say anything or budged into the conversation as they had no idea what they were conversing in the first place. It was like they were in another world than theirs.

"Wow... I never heard Aniki talking that much with someone." Sasuke whispered to his first friend. Kiba looked at him not understanding. What on earth was he mumbling about? He was barely saying anything compared to his mother.

"He's not saying much so far I am concerned." Kiba whispered back. The older version of Sasuke was barely talking longer than twenty words.

"How can that be" He pointed to Itachi "considered talking a lot?"

"Aniki doesn't talk much back home. The only person who can make him talk a lot is Shisui nii-san. But even then, he barely manages to make Aniki talk a lot." Sasuke informed and Kiba nodded. It must be boring to have a less talkative brother. At least he had Akamaru, his older sister Hana and her three ninkens; the Three Haimaru brothers to talk whenever he was dying in boredom.

Before anyone knew it, the Academy bell rang loudly, letting all parents and new students that it was eight thirty. From different parts of the school ground, parents and students gathered in front of the academy where there were twelve Chunins standing behind Sandaime Hokage.

Sasuke stood next to his big brother who stood next to Kiba and his family. The civilian families stood with their children, standing a good length away from the shinobi families. It was understandable. They were defenseless civilians of Konoha while they were the protectors of Konoha. Many families stared at the Uchiha Clan, knowing their well-known reputation as one of the founding Clans of Konoha. The little children chattered quietly to their new friends they made in the school ground, looking at the youngest shinobi aka Uchiha Itachi.

Not far away from the Academy, Kitsune watched the ceremony silently, hearing her leader's speech that changed every year as new students enrolled to the academy to become the future protectors of Konoha in years time. She never missed this day no matter how complicated or busy her schedule was. Today was the new start of the generation and the Will of Fire that had been passed down since the beginning of Konoha. In matter of years, they will be standing along each other fighting for the village, families and friends. The Will of Fire that she prided with her life and joy was passed down to the coming generation and with no doubt, the spark of fire inside them will grow bigger and will help them grow strong.

Smiling ever so slightly, she disappeared into the shadows as Sandaime finished his speech. Today just made her day and nothing would be able to bring her down for the whole day.


	4. Chapter 4

**No more Hiding**

**Chapter 4**

**WARNING:** Torture (quite detailed and gruesome) for those who wanted to see Kabuto suffer, I hope this satisfies you. This is my first attempt of writing something like this, so please go easy on me.

Thank you to all the people who answered the poll. Now, I have a new one up. It's been up for a while. Two choices this time and is blind poll. For those who don't like the choices, press pm and _please _pm me. I am not psychic. I cannot read your minds or see the future.

The mention of Uchiha massacre will be kept brief and the result... well, it's too early to say. It's a tie so I will bring it up again later in the future, so keep that in mind and let's continue with the story. ^^

Merry belated Christmas ans Happy New Year!

* * *

A week quickly passed since the first term of the Academy.

As soon as the academy bell rang, Sasuke launched out from the school field. Today was his favourite day since the last lesson was physical training. It was his favourite since he excelled in the subject and the lesson was held in the field, meaning as soon as the bell rang, he was free to go home.

"I'll see you tomorrow Kiba!" He shouted waving to his first friend and seeing him wave back, Sasuke ran fast as he could towards home. Itachi was at home helping Konoha Police now and then but primarily, he lazed around in home doing nothing. Even if his brother was off leave, he didn't forget his daily trainings because every single day, he saw Itachi and Shisui return home battered and sweating though it was Shisui who seemed to come home more tired and ruffed up than Itachi. Shisui muttered about 'sadistic weasel'. Sasuke had half mind that he had to do something with the matter between the conflict between his brother and cousin for the last few days but his gut instincts told him to ignore it and trusting his instincts, Sasuke acted as if nothing was going between Itachi and Shisui.

Taking a swift right turn, Sasuke easily jumped over the six feet fence with a help of a bar that stuck out from a wall as if he had been doing it for years and took a turn to the left and a right as he ran further into the street. This was a shortcut home. It was written in Itachi's notes and it said that it was a good way of exercise. At first it was quite hard but doing it over and over again even after school and his free time, now it was piece of cake.

Recalling the map from the notes, it didn't take long for Sasuke to find his Clan's district and seconds later, the gate of his house. He knew it right away since that was his house gate and just like any day, Itachi was standing outside holding onto to a stopwatch, waiting for his arrival.

Skidding down the earthy floor, Sasuke stopped right in front of his brother, panting slightly from the rush at the last moment.

"How long is it this time?"

"Seven minutes and forty-six seconds. That's twenty seconds faster than last time, otouto." Itachi replied and Sasuke grinned at his new record. That was better than the last time.

"Come on, Okaa-san prepared your favourite snack." He said calmly and opened the door, just enough for him and Sasuke to enter. Hearing of his favourite snack, Sasuke quickly dashed in, leaving one amused Itachi behind. Seeing Sasuke like that, Itachi shook his head.

Sometimes, things never changed.

* * *

A group of ANBU surrounded the hospital, covering every inch of the building making sure no one escaped. All twenty members of ANBU stationed in their positions hidden in the shadows waited silently for their commander's order.

"Who is our target, Neko-taichou?" One ANBU asked her voice low and silent from others except for the rest of the ANBU to hear.

"Our target is Yakushi Kabuto. Fourteen year old, shoulder length white hair and wears round glasses. We need him alive. He is our only resource to Orochimaru and how he is connected to that traitor. Just because he is a fourteen year old doesn't mean we should underestimate him. He is a medic-in-training and is a prodigy when it comes to Medical Jutsus. Especially look out for his Chakra Scalpels." Neko replied back and readied her stance to barge into the hospital. They had to be careful in this mission as no hospital staff members were notified of this. They couldn't risk of getting the spy run away from them. It had taken them the whole week to find out who the spy was as from their Sou-taichou's words, the hospital itself was stank with snakes, making their job harder to find the spy in the first place. This was their only chance before the spy fled from Konoha with vital information about their village that had yet to be revealed and sell it to their enemies.

The ANBU saw room 405's curtains close and the light flickered once. This was the signal. Earlier on, one of the medics who were one of the hidden ANBU members in the hospital went into the hospital to do his usual shift. By Sou-taichou's order, Taka had gone to one of the empty room do send the signal that the spy was in the place they wanted him to be. To other shinobi and civilians, they wouldn't notice a difference as this was normally occurred everyday whenever new patients came in.

"Team 1, north entrance. Team 2, south entrance. Team 3, east entrance. Team 4 west entrance. Team 5, roof with me." Neko commanded and instantly, four teams of four ANBU dispersed from their hiding spot to their new order. The remaining team and Neko jumped from roofs to roofs, heading for the roof of the hospital.

* * *

_Inside the Hospital_

Kabuto looked around the hospital, feeling his senses going haywire. He didn't know how but just knew that something drastic was going to happen soon. Something that wasn't good to him at all. The fact that he couldn't find anything out of normal was more troubling for him. This had only happened to him whenever he was exposed as a spy in foreign villages back in the Third Great Shinobi War. This survival instinct saved him numerous times and right now was no different. After all he was a spy in Konoha working for the Hebi Sannin _and _one of S-rank nuke-nin of Sunagakure.

Placing down the clipboard he was reading a while ago to the front desk, he hastily excused himself from his current teacher and mentor. He had to get away from the hospital fast. He knew his master, the Hebi Sannin wouldn't be happy about it, but he had no other choice. It was either run away or get caught with the risk of spilling every secret he knew, including some secrets that not even his master knew.

Unluckily for him, he didn't get far when the hospital was assaulted by ANBU. Four ANBU barged into the hospital through the entrance with their weapons out, provoking panic everywhere from both Shinobi and civilians. Taking the panic in scene as an advantage, Kabuto turned around to another exit, but it was the same. It was too ambushed by the ANBU, preventing him from escaping. All of them had their ANBU tantos out, in position to kill if necessary. The nearby shinobi and medics hurriedly grabbed nearby civilians, removing them from the elites' path. It would be insane to charge at them, that would flunk his slowly built of mask as an average medic-in-training who gave up to become a Chuunin after continuous failures. Cursing mentally at his bad luck and timing (not really, it's been all planned just for you.), Kabuto took another turn, this time going for the roof. He won't get caught and will not get caught.

* * *

Enhancing his strength and speed with his Chakra, Kabuto jumped a whole staircase to staircase, towards the roof. In his mind, he quickly made up a plan that would guarantee his safety and if he ever managed to escape, he would have to visit another fellow spy, Mizuki since his cover had yet to be blown up. He wasn't sure if Konoha had found out about his cover but with the ambush from ANBU within their home, there was a large chance that he had fucked up something along the way, which eventually led to hm.

The moment he reached the door that separated him from the roof of the hospital; the door was knocked down from brutal force, the damage evident from the other side. Kabuto dodged the flying door on time, only getting a scratch on the cheek, but didn't have the time to dodge the attacks sent from the attacker from the door, later to be revealed a team of five ANBU owning him completely with their ambush, which sent him down couple the stairs with bruised arm and light concussion. Just because he was hiding his true abilities and fooling everyone letting them think he was a failure Genin, that didn't mean he was strong enough to take Jounin and higher ranks. At most, he was high Chuunin and maybe touching the boundary of low Jounin. He could maybe take a Jounin alone with his tactics if he was lucky enough, but that was it. Against ANBU, it was already an automatic defeat.

"Yakushi Kabuto, we have a reason to suspect that you are a spy. Do not fight back or we will use force." An ANBU with red mask said in an emotionless voice. Kabuto cursed mentally in his mind and tried to run away, only to have four ANBU standing around him with weapons aimed at his vital points. '_Damn it.'_ It was a bad choice coming for the roof. If he stayed with others, at least he could've taken them as a hostage to run away but in the narrow staircase, there was no one and was barely big enough to escape from ANBU.

"We have warned you." The ANBU taichou said and an ANBU from behind slammed his head pommel of the tanto, knocking him out for good. Feeling his body shut down, Kabuto cursed in his mind of being careless. How did they find out about him?

* * *

Back in the Hokage tower, no one was having a good day. The Head Medic Takera Kise was throwing a fit to the Hokage and the Civilian Council was supporting the idea to exile the ANBU who had organised the plan. Exile his personal shinobi for this petty reason of scaring the living hell out of civilians?

Nonsense.

"SILENCE!" The Hokage shouted and slammed his fist to his desk, making dent of his fist to the wood. It effectively shut all of Civilian Council and the medic's mouths and looked at their leader in fear. They had forgotten who were they speaking to and crossed the line.

"Are you _demanding _me to exile _my personal shinobi _for this _ridiculous_ reason?" He growled at them, emphasizing the words clearly and the civilians gulped audibly.

"B-But Hokage-sama! The ANBU terrorized the hospital and _kidnapped my student!_" The medic shouted and the Hokage's hand twtiched annoyance having a half mind to slit the man's throat for good but if he did that, that will cause more paperwork for him and that was something he'd rather avoid.

Anko and Ibiki were rubbing off him too much.

He seriously needed Tsunade back. Ever since she left, the hospital had become more... lacking under the Civilian Council's guidance. He wasn't stupid when he first saw the death rate of his shinobi and civilian. Comparing the days when Tsunade was the Head Medic, the death rate was at least twice higher. It was a surprise that there were still enough shinobi in Konoha.

"Are you aware that _your student _is the prime suspect of breaking into the forbidden sections in the library and leaked one of the most vital information of Konoha to our enemies _and Orochimaru?_" At the mention of his former student, everyone paled. All of them knew the horror that brought with his name. The experiment... Sandaime couldn't even think of the scene he saw when he pursued him in the past.

"No... I-It can't be... Kabuto is a good kid. J-Just because he's an orphan a-and-"

"That's the thing. Kabuto is an orphan, making him a better quality of a spy. Nobody trusts orphans. Anyone can take the advantage to accept orphans and use them like puppets. It's quite sad to think that the boy at the age of fourteen, but a spy is a spy. We don't show sympathy to our enemies." The Hokage sighed and rubbed his temple to ease the headache. He'd never knew Orochimaru would sink this far to send a boy, a _child _to become his ears and eyes within the village but then again, he was a lost hope when he dared to tread to the God's domain, immortality. That mere thought led him of experimenting on children. Civilian and Clan children. Out of all sixty dead bodies of kidnapped children he found in Orochimaru's hidden base, only a single orphaned civilian child survived through the inhumane experiment. The experiment to replicate his teacher's Kekkei Genkai, Mokuton.

Behind the Hokage, a hawk suddenly flew into room through the open window, landing right in front of the Hokage. From the messenger bag that was on the hawk's bag, Sandaime took out a scroll and the hawk flew away, returning back to its home.

Ignoring the shocked people standing in front of him, he opened the school and took in the report from Inoichi. It was quite sad to read that the boy was indeed a spy but was also shocked that he had multiple mind defence at his young age but nonetheless Inoichi managed to bypass it and gather all the information within the boy's mind. As how much he hated to admit it, Orochimaru trained the boy well. Too well for his age.

As he continued to read the report, the Hokage narrowed his eyes at the information that Orochimaru didn't just have a single spy in Konoha but two. An academy teacher, to be precise Tanrou Mizuki. Orochimaru wasn't known as a genius for nothing. An academy teacher and a medic as spies... he planned out everything and precisely. Though he couldn't help but wince at the brutality Kitsune did to Kabuto. She surely was sadistic like her father and just like her mother; she knew what to do to freak out people out of their wits.

"Get. _Out_. Get the hell out of my office. All of you had the guts to barge in to my office. Count yourselves lucky that I wasn't having a meeting with my ANBU or I would've had all of you locked up in prisons and execute you for breaking one of Hashirama-sensei's laws." He glared at them and without a word; the Civilian Council and Head Medic scrammed from his office, not forgetting to close the door. At least they had some manners left inside them with their overgrown confidence and so called 'power'.

* * *

Back in the ANBU Headquarters, Kitsune twirled a kunai with her fingers as if it was a pencil rather than a weapon. She sat on a chair that was from one of the meeting rooms to the spacious area where the remaining ANBU stood behind her while Kabuto was in the middle of the floor, tied up in Chakra restraining rope and his Chakra blocked, courtesy from Usagi from Squad 9 aka Hyuga Hitomi. The ANBU around her looked at her warily, not that she cared of the looks she got but blankly stared at Kabuto was currently sweating bullets physically and mentally. There was no way he could escape the ANBU Headquarters alive. Without his Chakra, he was only a civilian who had more stamina and strength than average person. No civilian can take an ANBU down. It was worse than committing suicide because the mere thought was foolish and suicidal to begin with.

"Yakushi Kabuto... What should I do with you pesky snake?" Kitsune spoke loudly and clearly, shushing the quietly murmuring ANBU around her. All of them stared at their supreme commander and the traitor silently, their eyes constantly shifting from one another wondering how long the feud would last. The last spy she had personally dealt with barely lasted five minutes. They wanted to find out if he was any better than that Kumo spy six months ago. The three Iwa spies last week didn't count. She practically did nothing with them than ask questions and beheaded them. Tsuchikage's reactions of seeing his spies' heads back were priceless and since then he made no accounts of sending anymore spies to Konoha, aka their deaths.

"I've heard that snakes taste like chicken if you grill it well on fire or rather healthy if you boil it and eat it with some soy sauce. I wonder how you would taste if I fry you with oil or should I try the classical way and grill you first and _eat_ _you_ if you taste like chicken. Personally, I prefer beef than snake meat, but meat is meat. I don't really complain when it comes to food." She stood up from her seat and still absently twirling a kunai with her fingers. She walked towards slowly, her footsteps echoing in the room clearly at her obviously emphasized steps, establishing the ANBU and Kabuto that she was holding herself back from just killing him. If she just killed him, that would be just too quick and his wouldn't last very long. He deserved a long, slow and painful death. For daring to touch her ANBU, he was going to suffer her wrath. She will make him regret for attempting to spy Konoha in the first place and will break his will to become a double agent. He will regret his choice of becoming a spy and she would make sure of it.

"I applaud you and your courage of your attempt to decode our greatest codes. The fact that you managed to get one right out of all fifty secrets you sold outside to our enemies..." Kitsune swiftly threw her kunai to Kabuto, just barely managing to cut his cheek deep enough to bleed. Kabuto mentally gulped at his fate. It was clear that she wanted him to suffer. Even a blind man would notice her scheme to break him inside out slowly and painfully.

"You know our secrets too much. Not even Jounin know this much of Konoha's secret to break Shodaime's ultimate codes. Only Sandaime can do it successfully. To hear that some measly failing Genin managing to crack one of the hardest codes in Konoha just shows how naive we have become, but don't worry. I'll fix it and dispose all evidence of our so called 'weakness' that our enemies thought us to be." Even he wasn't able to see her face, he knew she was smiling eerily, just by hearing her voice. She was twice younger than him judging by her voice and yet, she was at least twice stronger than him. Behind Kitsune, the ANBU mentally shuddered seeing their Sou-taichou's sadistic side coming out. There were only less than a handful of times when her sadistic side showed up and thankfully, all of them were due to their enemies mostly being Iwa. None of them ended quite good as most of the times, their enemies always managed to burn up her fuse resulting disaster, often causing their death.

* * *

"Here it comes..." Anko whispered quietly, watching amongst her colleagues as Kitsune took out two kunai this time, twirling it at the same time only with one hand. She had only seen her boss sadistic once in her lifetime working as an interrogator when the young supreme commander had dragged an Iwa kunoichi to the torture chamber for a reason she didn't know and had no wish to know when she heard all the screaming from the Iwa kunoichi which soon turned to sobs and begging for mercy. How a six year old managed to break a stone-willed shinobi was mind boggling but even now, no one had the courage to ask her of the incident that happened a year ago. They feared of scarring their minds permanently. ANBU or not, they weren't suicidal.

"He should've known better than trying to fish out Itachi from her pond. She's feistier and scarier than her mother when it comes to her precious people." Inoichi muttered under his breath and the nearby people looked at him in curiosity. How did he know Kitsune's parents? No one knew who her parents were. Did that mean he knew her identity? Did she trust him that much to reveal herself to him?

Everyone in ANBU knew how secretive their Sou-taichou was when it came to her identity. So far, they were only aware that only the Hokage's most trusted people in ANBU including Taichous and some retired knew her identity. Not her parents. Hearing knew her, more or less, her parents, curiosity spiked the roof. Were they friends in the past or anything? How well did they know Kitsune's mother? Did that mean there were more people who knew Kitsune's identity who weren't in ANBU? Were her parent's remaining friends aware of that their friend's child was still alive?

"You knew her parents?" Ibiki asked in slight shock, looking at his senior at the new information. The Yamanaka then widened his eyes at the slip and chuckled nervously. Now he had planted the seeds in his successor's head, it would be no time for Ibiki to find out the truth. When he did, Inoichi pray that he wouldn't be blinded by the foolish rumours about her. She never deserved it. Never.

"Kind of. It's quite hard to forget her mother if you become one of her victims of her pranks." He admitted and rubbed the back of his neck in slight embarrassment of being caught by her pranks in the past.

"Pranks?" Anko asked and he nodded. It was one of his most embarrassing days ever. His wife, Tsubaki teased him about the incident at every opportunities she was given. At least she never told any of it when Ino was near. She wouldn't dare to corrupt their only daughter that early. Shikaku's and Chouza's children will never survive around his daughter and the fact that Shikamaru was just as smart as his father didn't help. That lazy kid will connect the dots together and that will just lead to complete chaotic disaster for him to handle which he'd rather not.

"Anyway, concentrate on Sou-taichou. She's natural when it comes to torture. You can learn a thing or two." He said, distracting Anko away from him. The story after was for another time, not that he'll ever remind them of it. He'd rather keep it to himself than telling everyone. It'll crumble his reputation away.

Just like he wanted, Anko easily turned away from him to Kitsune at the mention of torture. It was quite disturbing to think that she enjoyed torturing people, especially physical torture. Apparently from what he knew, she enjoyed seeing them quiver in fear as she broke them little by little in pain.

...

_'I take my word back. It's not quite disturbing. It's _very _disturbing.' _Inoichi thought and shivered inwardly.

* * *

With her two kunai, Kitsune twirled the knives for a bit before she threw them again, this time aiming for his feet. The sheer force was more than enough to stab through his bones, locking his feet to the ground. Kabuto screamed in pain but didn't dare to move knowing that he'd cause more pain and so, he wisely stayed still as Kitsune watching him whither on the ground.

"That's what you get for treading my territory. If you think we Konoha are naive, then you know nothing about us. We may be kind but that doesn't mean we are weak. Just like any other hidden villages, we can be ruthless and cold whenever we want to be but we choose not to. Third Great Shinobi War is the result. One against three and we still managed to win against Iwa, Kumo and Suna. We are tools for the village, we exist for the village, but we are also humans. Something that neither of those villages deemed as important. Konoha is different and because we think as humans, we have someone to protect. We fight to protect than for power and glory. To them and to you, it looks like a weakness, but to us, _true _and proud Konoha shinobi think as a pride." She said and took a senbon out than a kunai.

"This will decide whether you answer my questions truthfully or not. Depending on your answer, I can decide you give you a quick death or a slow death that you deserve." She said and Kabuto knew he had to choose. Betray his master or stay loyal.

Suddenly Kitsune disappeared only to appear right in front of him. "Is Orochimaru in Konoha or not?" Her senbon was only a millimetre away from his right eye. Even if she stabbed him, the left hemisphere of his brain wouldn't be damaged since it controlled his speech meaning even in pain, he would be forced to answer right or suffer more pain. Disorientated, but not enough to completely disable his speech.

"N-No." Kabuto managed to stutter and give them the answer, his right eye only concentrated on the sharp tip of the metal that was threatening to stab through his eye. Eyes had no nerves therefore he wouldn't feel pain, but the fact that it would stab his brain if he answered unsettled him greatly. He'd rather have both of his eyes than one, maybe none.

At his answer, Kitsune drew back though the senbon was still in her hand if he tried to do anything foolish. Inside, she was relieved that the traitor wasn't planning to come to Konoha. If it wasn't him, then who was the person that was in the report? Was it a foe or ally?

"Inoichi" She called out and from the group, a man in his early thirties walked towards her, his face guarded with the wisdom and experience he gained throughout his whole shinobi career. Kabuto recognised the long platinum blonde hair. He was Yamanaka Inoichi, fifteenth head of Yamanaka Clan. A Shinobi Clan that specialised in mind related jutsus. Calling the man out from the crowd made Kabuto's inside churn. This was seriously not ending well for him.

"Sou-taichou"

"Find out as much information you can inside his memories." She ordered and Inoichi nodded before forcing Kabuto to sit up despite his injuries and placed his hand on his head from behind. It was better and faster for him to work if he got physical contact. Without it worked too but wasn't as effective as with physical contact.

* * *

While Inoichi gathered information from Kabuto's memories inside the boy's mind, outside Kitsune continued to torture the daylights out of him. One of the things she liked about Inoichi was that he was proficient enough when it came to mind walking into victim's mind when the victim was still awake. There were few strains to the castor but that wasn't concerned as it wasn't life threatening.

"Tell me _everything_ that concerns Konoha." Kitsune demanded and Kabuto gulped in fear. This was one-sided battle, a battle that had no escape. Not for him.

"..."

The moment Kabuto opened his mouth to answer; he found the senbon in the ANBU's hand stabbed through his left hand. Instead of answering her question, another painful scream left his mouth as he clenched his other hand from moving his stabbed hand too much.

"Too slow. Next time, it will be your other hand." She hissed and took another senbon out.

"Answer me"

"T-There's another spy... The academy teacher Mizuki." Kabuto gasped out from the pain and looking through the holes of her mask, he saw satisfaction in her azure eyes. Her eyes were so beautiful like a gem and yet so dangerous. She knew something he didn't. Something that was very important.

"What were you planning to do with Itachi?" She asked and this time Kabuto gulped in fear. The Uchiha was a special case. He had read the prodigy's medical report and found out that he was physically weaker than average, giving him lesser Chakra and stamina than normal people but his extreme control over Chakra filled that place up. He had hoped to twig one of the Uchiha's missions in the future and send him to where his master currently was so they would have at least an Uchiha to experiment on, especially the son of the Clan Head.

"He was going to send Itachi away to a faux mission to Orochimaru." Inoichi informed and Kabuto widened his eyes. How did they find out about that? He hadn't said anything about the fake mission!

At the information, Kitsune growled and stabbed Kabuto's left hand rather than his right. She had something prepared for his right hand. Something special.

"You're lucky that you're needed for information about your slimy master or else I would've killed you long ago. Count yourself lucky that we caught you before you managed to do anything to Itachi because if anything had happened to him... **you** **would be cut up in pieces at this moment, _alive_ and suffering the worst nightmare of your whole life.**" Her voice turned demonic and rough, sending cold shivers down Kabuto's spine. What on earth was she?

* * *

At the change of tone from their superior, all ANBU took a step back, away from her and her victim. It was not pretty scene once her emotions went wild. This was only a matter of time before she gave in to her cravings of the spy's screaming and begging for mercy. In that state, the spy's screaming was nothing but music to her. His pain was her joy. Until her cravings stopped, it was the best to leave her alone with her toy.

* * *

"What is Orochimaru planning to get the Sharingans in the first place? Even a blind person can see that the bastard is obsessed with Kekkei Genkais, especially the Uchiha's." Her voice returned back to normal much to his silent relief but that was his least problem.

"If you don't answer in five seconds, kiss your life goodbye." She said and with her right hand, a layer of Chakra formed, coating her hand like a second layer before it changed its shape into a senbon.

"Did you know that Wind Chakra is the most dangerous elemental Chakra? Do you know why?" Kitsune suddenly asked, the tone of her voice suddenly changing into something else he couldn't comprehend. He didn't know much about Wind Chakra as it was the rarest amongst all elemental Chakra in Hi no Kuni. There wasn't much information he could find. Other villages he had spied in the past held their secrets secure and locked away from watchful eyes such as him since he was technically an orphan who decided to become a 'faithful shinobi' to their village.

"Unlike other Chakras, Wind Chakra can attack every cell in your body beyond repair that not even with Tsuande-hime's power will be able to heal the damaged cells. I can easily cut off your chakra paths permanently, shredding them like ribbons without cutting you directly, somewhat like Medical jutsus. Have you ever felt the pain of your Chakra pathways shredded away?" She asked innocently and as an example, she threw the Wind Chakra in senbon form to Kabuto's right hand before it exploded away causing Kabuto to scream louder and painfully than before. This pain wasn't something he ever felt in his life. Not even when his master had experimented on him in the past.

"Think that as an early warning. You can try to lie, that is if you can." She said and another senbon formed by her Wind Chakra, ready to throw it again in case he decided not to cooperate. If he wanted to play hard, she'd do the same.

"H-He plans to sneak in to the village next year-" Before Kabuto finished his sentence; he was rewarded with another Chakra senbon to his leg catching him red handed of lying. How did she know he was lying?

"Lie all you want. I don't care much what crap you say because I'd prefer you to keep lying so I can stab you as much as I want. Either way you tell us every dirty secret you know and have a painless death or lie through and suffer pain, this is our win." Kitsune said and got a kunai out from her pouch, before coating it with her Wind Chakra. Not taking her eyes away from him, she looked at Inoichi through the corner of her eyes and saw him in strain. She had delayed this long enough.

"I like to play you even longer, but I'm not cruel to keep my subordinate to his limit. From now on, every time you lie or answer less than five seconds, I'm going to cut off your fingers one by one." She said and Kabuto paled at her words. Cut of his fingers? Even with his fast cell regeneration, he had no such ability to grow new limbs and as a medic-in-training, not to mention to a shinobi, fingers were important like a lifeline. The fact that she was going to cut it off with her Wind Chakra kunai meant the Chakra pathways will be shredded for him to send his Chakra to at least close up the wound meaning he would bleed to death. Dying in blood loss wasn't a pretty way to die.

"I'll ask again. What is Orochimaru planning to do with the Uchihas?" She demanded posing her kunai to his left thumb to cut if off he dared to lie again.

"H-He's planning a-" Even before Kabuto had finished his sentence, Kitsune sliced his thumb off. He can try as hard as he can to lie right in front of her face, but that would mean little to her. She fought people who were better at lying than him. Compared to them, he was still a novice, no better than a crawling toddler.

Standing behind Kitsune, ANBU winced behind their masks. There were couple of reasons why the Hokage himself didn't dare to risk of getting on her bad side. This was one. She was just sadistic as her father in a very twisted way not that they knew it except for the Hokage and Kakashi. The former ANBU-taichou could vouch for it since he was once student under Yondaime Hokage and had mentioned of it once or twice when he visited her couple of times for a spar. ANBU didn't know that Yondaime and Kitsune was related. Only the fact that they were sadists when it came to certain things they enjoyed. To Yondaime, that was training. To Kitsune, it varied but torturing traitors was one.

"If you're smart enough, you'd better answer my questions truthfully before I lose my control because after all of your fingers are chopped off, your ears will be next then your nose. After that, I'm going to cut your eyelids open, sew them onto your head and carve your pupil out with my kunai. I'm going to pluck your eyes out slowly and painfully with your nerves still attached. Your teeth will be next and your toenails. I'll pull them out twisting slowly, for you to feel the pain and enjoy your sufferings. **Then I'm going to skin you alive, use it as a rug, stab you with senbon, pour acids all over your body and watch you whither in pain until you _break_.** **I'll cut you open, pull your organs out and burn you inside out until you _wish_ for _death_.**" She growled dangerously and everyone who heard her went pale a little green at her description. Now they understood why she tortured her victims in a personal cell room without anyone watching. It was understandable how all shinobi cracked under her because whenever she was in that mood, she was a lot worse than Ibiki. Even he didn't go into such details as her. He kept it brief to psychologically break them. For her to subconsciously tapping onto Kyuubi's power showed them how much she was losing control of her emotions and as ANBU Sou-taichou that rarely happened.

"I-I'm not lying!" He shouted but was answered with another finger cut off. Kabuto screamed in pain and tried to clutch his bleeding fingerless hand but Kitsune stabbed his other hand by her tanto, keeping his hand locked to the ground.

"That's two fingers gone. Let's see how long you can last." She said and cut another finger off, enjoying his screams. To others it was a total nightmare but to her, it was a beautiful music.

"Orochimaru-sama is going to attack them in the next Chuunin exam!" He shouted and yet, Kitsune cut another finger off, adding his already unimaginable pain.

"I met far better liars than you and comparing you to them, you're nothing but a baby barely learning how to stand. I admire you courage to continue lie to me but is it worth it? There is no hope for you and what you're really doing now is the choice how your death will be." She said deadly quietly and posed her bloodied kunai to his neck. Pressing ever so slightly to his jugular, a thin cut formed, drawing little blood.

"Tell me and I'll give you a painless death or continue lying and I'll give you the most brutal death ever that you'll be wishing it was the Shinigami dealing with you." Like that, without battering an eye, Kitsune sliced the last finger off, leaving his left hand fingerless. The blood pooled underneath his bleeding hand unable to stop the flow. His Chakra pathways in his hands were shredded by her and so, there wasn't a single way for him to heal unless it was a medic but there was no way of such things happening to him. He was a traitor to Konoha and for that, even an academy student will know, he won't have a pleasant death to the other world.

* * *

After reading Inoichi's report, the Hokage sighed deeply. He knew Kitsune would snap, but at least, she hadn't destroyed anything and to his amazement, she left the spy alive. Normally she never gave second chances to traitors. What did she see him to give him a second chance or was it? There were too many possibilities and it was no easy job trying to see everything in her view and think what she would do next. She was just as unpredictable like her parents.

The Hokage a looked up from his paperwork hearing two knocks and the door opening. Itachi stood in front of the door. Without looking, he closed the door quietly. The prodigy wasn't wearing his usual attire that the Hokage was used to see. Itachi wore a black high collar shirt that had the Uchiha fan on the back and loose black pants. The white bandages were on his ankles and wrists, presumably a habit but his hitai-ate, waist pouch and shuriken holster were missing. No shinobi went without them unless they were off duty from either due to injury or taking a break. Itachi was taking a break, a month break in his official profile but truly, he was undercover. Only two people knew of his mission. Him and Kitsune. She had suggested in the first place.

"Hokage-sama" The boy bowed to him in respect and from his pocket, he brought out a red scroll. A report. Colours were different depending on how important it was. Black was the first priority. The next was red, followed by yellow, green, blue and finally white. Green, blue and white scrolls were normally used in D-rank mission reports and low C-rank mission reports. Yellow was for C-rank to low B-rank mission reports and scout reports. Red was for B-rank to A-rank missions, assassination mission reports, assisting minor countries in their war (which rarely happened) and spy reports. Black was used for S-rank mission reports and above, ANBU reports and undercover mission.

"Itachi, how is it being off duty for so long?" The Hokage asked kindly, accepting the scroll from Itachi. Aside from the undercover mission, this was a good opportunity for Itachi to cut some slack from his duty. The boy needed and deserved it.

"It's... it's strange not being on duty for a week, but... nice." Itachi replied back and Sandaime smiled. From what he knew, Itachi never took a leave from duty more than three days that happened only once when he was injured from a mission a year ago when he was just a regular ANBU. He was promoted few months later one after the incident. The boy rarely took a leave not that he was allowed to in the first place from the pressure of his own Clan.

ANBU was never kind to anyone. The maximum years working as ANBU was four years max, but mostly, shinobi and kunoichi resigned from the job after a year or two back to Jounin or completely retired. Kakashi left ANBU once he reached his fourth year. Kitsune was no different. This was her second year running as ANBU Sou-taichou but also her third year as ANBU. Back then, her status wasn't official but she had been in ANBU ever since she was four years old. He wasn't that cruel to send her to assassination mission so until she turned five years old, she was trained by the ANBU members. Someone of her age shouldn't be in ANBU in the first place but since when did life go well for her? He was worried for her state of being in the shadow for far too long but he knew that it was useless worrying over her. She practically grew up living with ANBU, living in the shadow and isolated from everyone in the village. She was used to it and pulling her away from it was the same as asking her to retire and live a life she was never given a chance to live but even then, he couldn't bend the rules of it. Next year, whether she liked it or not, she was going to be out from ANBU. It was for the best.

"That's good to hear. Is there anything I should know?" He asked and Itachi shook his head. So far, there wasn't anything out of place in his Clan. A few disputes with the elders but his father had that in control. His father will tell him when the time was right. If it ever got out of hand, he always had a choice to inform the Hokage. As many disagreed of his choice but to him, the safety of the village and the Hokage came first than his Clan. No matter what, the village came first then his family and finally, the Clan.

"If it is no trouble Hokage-sama, how are the hunters faring? Has there been good profit this week?" Itachi asked. Missions above A-rank missions were never addressed directly but in code.

"It took a while to have a good hunt, but today, it was an excellent hunt. My wife will be delighted to hear about a new tiger skin. She always wanted one." The Hokage replied back and Itachi nodded. That was all he needed to know. Giving a curt bow to the Hokage, Itachi left the office.

* * *

Seeing Itachi walk out from the Hokage Tower through the window, Sandaime lit his pipe. Itachi was a good boy with too many expectations on his shoulders. In some ways, Itachi and Naru were alike. They both didn't have any childhood; nobody looked at them who they were. People didn't see Itachi as Itachi but a prodigy and they saw Naru as a demon that attacked the village seven years ago than an innocent girl who was forced to carry a burden she wasn't given a choice to choose. Being born with something they had no control of... life was unfair to them.

"Kakashi, how are you doing?" Sandaime asked, not looking at the man who was sitting on the balcony with his back leaning against the tower. In his hands, the usual orange book was opened.

"Just doing the usual, doing this and that once in a while. The patrol mission around the Uchiha district is normal and there hasn't been anything or anyone suspicious." The silver haired Jounin casually replied back and turned a page of his book.

"It's been confirmed that Orochimaru isn't the one behind this but we cannot ignore the possibility that he already knows about Itachi. But before that, I want you to keep an eye on Mizuki. The spy admitted that he's a spy for Orochimaru." The Hokage said and Kakashi arched an eyebrow. The academy teacher? He suspected Mizuki for a while in the past with his movements towards well off students but this was unexpected. A spy working for the traitor.

"I'll have Pakkun and few others on him, but is it wise not to take him out right now? He already has his eyes on Sasuke, Itachi's little brother. If Mizuki knows of this plan, he'll do anything to get Itachi to-"

"I know Kakashi. I am aware of the risk I am taking but we cannot act without raising suspicion. Remember that this is only known to the ANBU, Uchiha Clan and you. The Uchiha Clan knows what they need to know because of the safety of Itachi and the Clan, nothing more. The rest of the population aren't aware of this and if they find out about it, chaos will rise. We can't have that. I'm sure Kitsune has something prepared for the boy or else she wouldn't have left the traitor alive. You know how she is when it comes to traitors." The Hokage sighed deeply and Kakashi fell silent. He knew how traitors ended in her hands. She was worse than any hunter ANBUs all together when it came to hunting the betrayers. Nothing could be ever compared to her hate towards the ones who betrayed their home and allies.

* * *

Kitsune ignored her bloodied hands and walked back to her office. He was lucky that he had another job to do or else his soulless body would be nothing but a dark stain back in the room.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, she washed her hands and discarded her bloodied white cloak. She had spares and it wasn't the first time she ruined it and knew it wouldn't be the last. Grabbing another spare cloak from the closet, she placed the hood up and went out from the office. She needed to distract herself from this mess. Even for a short while, she had to get away before she did something she'd regret for the rest of her life. Letting a traitor live on her watch, it reminded her of that man. The man she failed to kill and protect her ANBU from him. He was another traitor like Orochimaru. Nara Shigeru.

Erasing the man's insane laughing face from her mind; she ignored the ANBU and left the headquarters.

* * *

Kitsune stopped by an apartment that was under a false name. It was hers but she rarely went to the place due to the busy schedule and she didn't like the idea of living amongst the people who hated her existence. The only reason she still had this place was from a promise she made with the Hokage. That was all and nothing more.

Going into the apartment through the unlocked window, Kitsune locked the window and closed the curtains. Flicking the light on, she looked around the place. It has been a while since she came back to this place and surprisingly, she found nothing covered in thick layers of dust or spider webs. She expected to see her apartment resembling an abandoned house more or less a typical haunted house. The Hokage must've sent a Genin team to clean here once in a while as a D-rank mission. He shouldn't have. There was no need to waste money on such unimportant thing as this.

Smiling faintly behind the mask, Kitsune went to her room and flicked the light on. Nothing was out of place. It looked like it was just yesterday she left the place than returning for the first time in two years. Carelessly flinging the cloak to the bed, Kitsune opened her closet which was full with various colours of yukatas and kimonos. All of them were replaced with the new ones, no doubt from her grandmother figure Sarutobi Biwako and her brother figure Kakashi. They always bought new clothes replacing the old ones every few months despite knowing the fact that she rarely came to this place.

Touched by their kindness, Kitsune picked out an orange yukata with Sakura flowers. Orange was her favourite colour along with few others and Sakura flowers were her favourite. Changing into the yukata, she hid her ANBU uniform under the loose tile underneath her bed. Undoing the bun, her hair came down to her back. Organizing a few strands, she hid several senbon and kunai in her clothes and looking into the mirror, she stared at the grinning mask of a fox splattered with dried droplets of blood. Kitsune mentally noted to clean the mask later and took the mask off, revealing her naturally tanned skin and six whisker marks on her cheeks. She faintly traced over them with her finger and instantly, the scars disappeared, hidden under a genjutsu. Foxes were genius illusionist. This was nothing compared to what they're capable of. Now, nobody will recognise who she really was, not that they ever dared to take notice of her in the first place before she 'disappeared' from the village.

Standing in front of the mirror, the reflection didn't reflect ANBU.

She was no longer Kitsune, ANBU Sou-taichou.

She was now Uzumaki Narumi.

* * *

Walking down the main street of Konoha, Narumi walked down the main market streets in Konoha holding a set of toy kunai and toy shuriken that she bought earlier from a passing store. Konohamaru had a thing for shinobi things, especially kunai and shuriken. This will easily distract the boy and in no time, he would forget about the whole ideal of her not visiting her and forgive her.

The shopping district was crowded with people as usual and ironically, not even a single person looked at her with hate or distaste. They already forgot about her or they just didn't recognise her. In a span of three years, she didn't change much except looking older than they remembered her and hiding her birthmarks. Other than that, she looked perfectly the same. This was just perfect. Her official record stated she died hours after being born into the world, three years later with another record of her false identity under her mother's maiden name. Either way, she technically died twice, not by accidents but by the very village that her parents loved with their hearts, loved enough to sacrifice their lives and her normal life.

Keeping her hands and the presents hidden inside her yukata, Narumi made her way through the crowd. She'd prefer jumping on roofs but that caught too many attentions. A seven year old girl, looking too similar to the 'Demon brat' who died three years ago was jumping from one roof to another as if it was a normal thing to do. They will instantly connect the dots together and she wasn't stupid enough reveal the secrets that the Hokage went all the trouble for her to keep her safe.

"Oi Oyaji, where are we going?" A boy drawled lazily and she just knew who they were. Walking not far from her, she saw one of her colleague and his son walking the opposite way. She knew who they were from far away. Their pineapple hairstyle was a dead give a way.

"Shopping." The father replied back in a same lazy tone. They were definitely father and son.

"Why? Why does it have to be today? It's such a good day to watch the clouds." The boy groaned and Narumi chuckled lightly at his laziness. He'd better hope his mother didn't see or heard that.

"You know how your mom is. She's a troublesome woman to deal- good day Narumi." The man stopped in mid-sentence and waved lightly to the blonde girl who was walking the opposite way.

"Good day Shikaku-san." Narumi greeted back. Outside ANBU, their roles changed. It was quite a feat to convince the Nara Clan Head to call her without any honorifics since mostly even outside ANBU, they tended to respect her but in order to keep her identity secret, whenever they were called for duties he called her casually by her real name. Of course no '-chan' or '-kun' was added after her name since that would show only bring up more questions than necessary.

Standing next to his father, Shikamaru quietly observed the blonde girl he had never seen before. She didn't go to Shinobi Academy or else he would've recognised her bright blonde hair and that summer azure eyes. She had to be from a shinobi family or his father wouldn't have known her and she wouldn't have greeted him by calling his name. Most shinobi his father met addressed him as 'Nara-san'. No one called his father by his name unless they knew him well, and when he meant well, as in like good friends like his best friend, Chouji's father and that troublesome girl Ino's father. They were like best friends out of best friends if that made any sense.

This only meant they knew each other and they considered themselves as friends even if they tried to hide it in front of him. Sometimes this was one of the perks of being a child. Adults underestimated children, expecting them to be naive but that didn't count to children born in shinobi family.

"... come over next time. Yoshino misses you." Shikamaru blinked owlishly. Damn, he missed the conversation. What were they talking about? Who was coming over? Who did his troublesome mother miss?

"I will try but I can't make any promises." She said and exchanging good byes, Shikamaru watched her leave, making her way to who knows where.

* * *

Shikamaru was silent throughout the whole journey since the blonde girl left. He didn't bother asking his father since he knew his old man wouldn't give him direct answers. It was just so like him, so instead of asking him, Shikamaru decided to ask his mother, remembering the end of the conversation he managed to catch between her and him.

Knocking his sandals off to the ground, Shikamaru slid open the paper doors and lied down on the living room, looking up to the drifting white clouds in the sky. He was fortunate that he didn't miss his watching cloud time. There was an at least a good half an hour till the sun went down. His house was a typical two story traditional house. Nothing too grand like the Hyuga Clan but rather a simple one. He could've gone through the front door like a normal person would've done but he was too damn lazy to take the long route to the living room. Going through the front garden was a lot faster and hell, much simpler than through that maze like house.

"Shikamaru! Don't leave your shoes like that! Put them properly!" Hearing the raging voice, Shikamaru winced. Damn, how did she know? Was she some kind of psychic or what and when in the love of Inari-sama was he ever going to enjoy his free time?

Grumbling in surrender, he lazily sat up and crawled across the room, towards the opened space. Leaning down on the edge of the platform, he placed his shoes straight and tidy. He'd rather get this done and over with. Her temper wasn't something to ignore. She was scarier than a Hanya for God's sake!

Lying back on the ground again and watching the clouds, Shikamaru felt the vibrations on the floor as someone walked pass near the living room. Judging by the heaviness and loudness of the footsteps, it belonged to his mother. _'Please don't come this way. Please don't this way.' _Shikamaru mentally prayed but today, it seemed the Gods weren't with him today as the footsteps stopped in front of the living room.

The double paper door opened and standing in front of him was his mother, her hair flying in the air with fire from hell blazing behind her.

"Shikamaru..." She growled and he knew he was in deep trouble.

"You dare t-"

"Do you a person called Narumi?" He hastily asked, cutting her off and judging by her reaction, Shikamaru silently noted that he wasn't supposed to know that name or she was just startled by the sudden question but he suspected the former.

"Where did you hear that name?" Bingo.

"While shopping, we met a girl and Oyaji called her Narumi. Blonde hair and blue eyes... she looked about my age." He replied and her eyes widened in even more shock, creating more questions in the young heir's mind. Just who was this Narumi person? How did his parents know her in the first place?

"I see... Shikamaru, you can watch the clouds as long as you want till the end of the week. Thanks for telling me that." She said and he widened his eyes at her words. What did he do to earn that heavenly award?

"Since your father didn't _bother_ telling me that he saw Narumi-chan... he is so sleeping on the couch for the next two weeks." She grinned sadistically and Shikamaru paled at the sight. Oh boy... seems like he opened a can of worms right in front of his old man's face. _'Soz Oyaji.' _Shikamaru apologised in his head. He would've liked to help his father but no way he was going against her. He valued his life thank you very much and the award was just too tempting.

* * *

Stopping in front of the Hokage Tower, Narumi thought of her entrance. Should she ask the secretary to let her in or shunshin to his office? She couldn't feel any chakra signatures except for the Hokage and his ANBU guards but then, some of the ANBU didn't know anything about her thus crossing out the second option. If she could, she would've just go into his office without telling the secretary, not that she hated him or anything but it would make the person curious about her which she'd rather avoid. She technically didn't exist in Konoha since she 'died' three years ago.

Sighing, Narumi opened the door and went into the building. On her left side, she saw the secretary writing up some reports and on the table, there were stacks of paper without a doubt for the Hokage. He stopped writing and looked up at her having heard the door open and in his eyes she saw curiosity as she expected to see and confusion.

"Is there anything I can help you little girl?" He asked kindly, standing up from the chair and crouched to her level, never noticing the fact that she had a larger Charka reserves than him not that he would ever notice from her high chakra control. He was only a Chuunin.

"I brought a gift for Hokage-sama. Is he free?" She tried to imitate a childlike voice, filled with innocence and naivety that she lacked. She wasn't actually fully lying since she did bring a gift but wasn't for the elderly man.

The Chuunin smiled at her not noticing her act and had led her to his office directly which was kind of him, but Narumi wondered if she would receive the same treatment if he truly knew who she was.

"Thank you." Giving him a fake smile that the Chuunin didn't notice, Narumi knocked twice before going in as soon as the man disappeared to the lower floor.

* * *

In the office, the Hokage looked up hearing someone coming in after the two knocks and widened his eyes when he saw Narumi entering. How long has it been since he saw her without that mask of hers? Couple of months at least and he was glad that she wasn't for once visiting him for shinobi matters. When she was on duty, the weight on his shoulders lifted even for a while since that meant the fire in her was still alive and burning, telling him that he hadn't all failed his successor.

"Naru-chan." He smiled at her and placed the pen down. It was very rare for her to visit him in these kinds of occasions. The most frequent times she visited him was on his birthday, Biwako's birthday and Konohamaru's birthday. Other than those three days, it was hard to see her out from her mask.

"Sarutobi Jii-san." She replied back and his smile widened even further. She only called him that when they were alone and he trusted that his ANBU wouldn't spill anything that happened inside. They will be curious of her but not stupid enough to go behind his back to search up information about her.

"Come here child." Standing up, he sat on the couch patting the place next to him and complied.

"I hope Kono-chan hasn't been crying about my lack of visit." She asked in worry. His grandson had been asking for her for weeks but he just couldn't ask her in the middle of crisis they were currently handling.

"Well... he has been asking for you for a while," A flash of guilt entered her eyes but disappeared as soon as it came before he saw it. "and he is a bit... annoyed in his terms at you but I doubt he can be annoyed with you for long. He loves you too much." He finished and she smiled remembering the happy bundle of life in a form of a child. Konohamaru was the first one to accept her beside the people who knew about her condition. She admitted to herself that she had little friends despite she knew lots of shinobi. The only ones she thought as her friends or people she deemed as precious were the Hokage and his wife, Kakashi and Itachi. The rest were nothing more than acquaintances or comrades she knew from ANBU. She had no civilian friends and the closest to that was Konohamaru.

In the shadows, the ANBU wondered who the child was being friendly with the Hokage. They've heard rumours from other Guards about the blond girl who visited the Hokage at time of his birthday and his family's birthdays and not many people knew his birthday but for this civilian girl to know them, the Hokage treasured her as if she was his granddaughter.

"I haven't seen that kimono before. Is it new?" The Hokage asked and she nodded.

"Biwako Baa-san and nii-san got me another set of wardrobe. I told them not to... but they just won't listen." She sighed and he chuckled. It was just like what his wife and Kakashi would do. Since they had no daughter, Biwako did everything she could do just to spoil her and Kakashi poured more oil to her fire by helping her than stopping her.

"That sounds just like what they would do." He said and laughed when she pouted. If she was expecting him to stop the duo, that wasn't happening. He supported them all the way and had no thought of stopping them.

"You're not helping Ji-san." She grumbled and mumbled about everyone going against her which made him laugh again. At times like this, she acted like her age and he was happy to see her act a normal child... or close to acting like acting like a normal child.

"Ah, yes." From her inner pocket, Narumi took out a small rectangular box which had pictures of shuriken and kunai on it. Underneath the pictures, it said 'Toy set of shuriken and kunai for kids'. Seeing the gift, the Hokage chuckled. He could just imagine what his grandson's reaction will be. She really was spoiling the boy, giving him all sorts of presents, mostly shinobi related things not that he will stop her or anything. If his wife and Kakashi try to spoil her, he and Narumi will do the same spoiling Konohamaru.

"He will love that." He said and placed the gift inside his robes. He will give that once he was done with the paperwork which he sadly had still lots to finish. How Minato coped with the paperwork every single day and finish it in time was a miracle. If that blonde told him the secret...

"How is Konohamaru doing? Is he still giving troubles to the maids? I hope not." She asked and the elderly man chuckled. The boy was still a troublemaker, giving hell to the working staffs back home with all the mess he made every single day. Every day, the excuse was the same.

_Flashback_

_"Honourable grandson! What have you done to the garden?" Minami, one of the maids in the Sarutobi Household asked in complete horror seeing the state of the garden that she had just finished cleaning up less than half an hour ago. Everything was wrecked, pots broken; flowers stomped to death, patches of grass missing as if land mines had blown up. In the middle of the garden that looked like a hurricane had drove through the place, Konohamaru was placing a pillow up on the ground, dressed up in his father's green vest with a smiley face on the white pillow sheet. The boy turned back meeting the maid's horror stricken face and grinned as innocently as possible._

_"I'm making a battlefield so I can fight with my friends!" He said excitingly and pointed to several pillows piled together at one side, dressed the same with the pillow he was currently attempting to make it sit up by itself. _

_Hearing his answer, the maid groaned out loud. This was already the fifth time this week! It took her two hours cleaning up the garden and now, she had to do it again!_

_End flashback_

"He's the same as ever. He managed to steal Akashi's hitai-ate and wrapped it around his head. How Konohamaru managed to that is still a mystery." The Hokage revealed and Narumi giggled. She could imagine the young hyperactive boy running away from his father while wearing the pride of all shinobi in the village.

"He's getting better in stealth. A *Sarutobi indeed." She teased and the Hokage laughed. He could not argue with that. The ANBU hidden in the room were completely lost at the duo's conversation. They could not figure out this blonde girl who was talking to casually with the leader of the village. Just who on earth was she to him? Was she really a civilian girl?

* * *

After talking with the Hokage for a good thirty minutes, Narumi left the Hokage Tower, which the Hokage didn't let her leave without a promise to visit soon and distract him from his personal hell, aka paperwork and see Konohamaru.

She skipped down the stairs, humming slightly in happiness. Talking with the Hokage definitely helped her emotions to settle down. When she reached the first floor, she saw the secretary's desk empty and the Chuunin was nowhere to be seen. Seeing the shinobi neglecting his work, Narumi couldn't help but roll her eyes at his idiocy. Who in the right mind leave the desk empty for anyone to see the document that could be highly classified and dangerous?

Rather than leave the tower as she was about to, Narumi sat down on one of the extra chairs by the wall which was there when there were quite a queue of people waiting to see the Hokage. Shuffling hands inside the yukata, she sat in silence, patiently waiting for the Chuunin to come back. If he was actually thinking, he at least could've placed the documents away open eyes and lock them inside the drawers. That was the purpose of those drawers that came with locks. They weren't there to be left alone and seen as mere decorations.

Ten minutes passed and yet, the secretary wasn't back yet. Narumi sighed at the tardiness displayed in front of her. He was lucky that he wasn't part of ANBU or else, he would've been long kicked out before anyone can say 'Shunshin'.

"Yare yare..." She muttered under her breath, finally noticing the familiar Chakra presence from earlier. He left his seat fifteen minutes. _Fifteen_! That was just unacceptable! Standing up from the seat, Narumi made her way to the door and opened it just as the Chuunin was about to push the door open. He hastily moved away from her as she went out, never giving a second look to the Chuunin. He was close to going to her black list. Neglecting his own job... If he dared to join ANBU in the future when she was still the leader, she was literally going to burn his application form without a second thought. ANBU did not need anyone who could not even think straight of the priorities of their job.

* * *

The sun was beginning to go down by the time Narumi got back her apartment. She did a light shopping of buying few things such as snacks like cookies and tea leaves. The cookies were for tomorrow and she could always bring the tea leaves with her to back home, her true home. She had a half mind to go back to the ANBU Headquarters but went against it remembering that the traitor was still alive that she chose not to kill. Even if that traitor was in one of the deepest prison in the Headquarters, she had no wish to stay near with them. She wasn't usually like this, missing paperwork but right now, she'd rather ditch the daily paperwork just to stay away from the traitor. That was how much she hated traitors and spies.

Locking the door, Narumi launched herself to the bed, inhaling a whiff of mint from the blankets indicating it hadn't been a long time since someone had cleaned her house along with washing the blankets and changing the bed sheets with a new one. Rolling over to one side, she looked out the window where the sun was setting behind the Hokage Monument, giving a glow to the four faces engraved on the stone mountain. The last carved face on the mountain, the face of her father's made a smile creep up to her face. His face stood out the most than the three faces in her eyes. Maybe because it was his natural spiky hair or the fact he was her father, the saviour of Konoha but also the destroyer of her life. While she didn't hate him, that didn't mean she held any feelings for the man who gave half her DNA. She respected him as Yondaime Hokage of Konoha but as a father... she didn't know. She never had any parents and the closest person she considered to be her father figure was...

Narumi let out a deep sigh and rolled away from the window. The room darkened a bit and was about time to turn on the lights but she didn't bother to. She couldn't care less about that. For a week, they had no further development and finally, when they found out the spy, Yakushi Kabuto, all these things fell on her. First she couldn't kill the traitor because he still had some uses left to serve Konoha whether he liked it or not, that brought back memories about the previous traitor of Konoha and no, it wasn't Orochimaru. Someone else. The snake bastard left long before she was born. It was someone she knew well in the past. Someone she wanted to forget and erase his existence from her past and memories.

Narumi bolted up straight when somebody knocked on her door. Instinctively, her hand reached for the hidden kunai under her pillow and two senbon from her clothes. No one visited this place. Never. Nobody knew who lived here except for a fake name and identity she made couple years back to use for missions.

"Naru-chan, are you in?"

Hearing the familiar voice, she sighed in relief and placed the kunai back and quickly made her hair into a bun, placing the two senbon to secure her hair in place. This way, her enemies won't know that they were in fact weapons unless they knew were perspective. A rather convenient way to hide weapons openly.

Walking towards the door, Narumi opened the door revealing Hatake Kakashi in his usual shinobi attire, both hands in pockets and standing in a rather casual position; almost to mistaken others that he had his guard down but people who knew him knew better than to think he had his guard down.

"Kakashi nii-san, how did you know I was back?" She asked and he smiled behind his mask not that the blonde saw it.

"No greetings for your brother? I'm hurt Naru-chan." He teased and Narumi chuckled before allowing the shinobi in to her house. Although they saw each other few days ago about any suspicious movements in the Uchiha Clan, this was their first time in months of seeing each other out from work.

Closing the door behind him, Kakashi took his shoes off and sat on the table in the living/dining room while Narumi went to the kitchen to prepare some drinks and snacks. It had indeed been a while he saw her outside her mask though her place was quite recent as he had just visited her home in order to change the clothes in her wardrobes with the help from Sandaime's wife. Some of the clothes were quite pricey but to him and Sandaime's wife, the sheer amount of money they spent every few months buying her new clothes didn't put a dent in their bank account, plus he had access to his father's account that he never opened it or dared himself to use it.

Few minutes later, Narumi came out holding a tray of two cups of freshly made green tea and a plate of chocolate chip cookies. She sat down opposite of him, placing a cup in front of him and cup for herself while placing the plate in the middle of them.

"I take that you like the yukata?" He started the conversation, noticing the clothes she was wearing. He chose the silk and his partner-in-crime had it custom made through her contacts. While it looked like any normal yukata, between the layers of material, chakra absorbing metals were sewed on which became armour strong enough to block kunai and shuriken once fed with chakra. The yukata itself was differently made than normal yukata. This type of yukata was specially made for shinobi and kunoichi, so if engaged in battle, they wouldn't have troubles fighting in the clothing.

"I do. Two of my favourite things are there, orange and sakura flowers." She smiled looking at the patterns. She really did like the yukata despite the fact that she knew it was custom made for shinobi. The comfort to her body and near lack of limited movements was more than enough proof. Though they were less comfortable than her usual shinobi uniform, it was better than the actual yukata where it nearly trapped her from her freedom.

"I dare say that you chose the silk and Biwako baa-san had it made?" Narumi guessed and Kakashi chuckled. Right on one go.

* * *

Outside the apartment, a figure stared at the duo talk freely and silently, the shadow melted backed to the darkness lurking at the edge of the building. No one noticed a barely noticeable spike of Chakra or the fact that there was a faint footprint not far from the abandoned house just directly opposite of the so called 'haunted' house that Genin cleaned every week.

No one noticed that the light in the apartment was on than usually off for 24/7.

* * *

Alright, that's it. I'm sorry for putting it up so late. I have no excuse, but to compensate, I made it longer than usual. Though don't expect me to write this much every chapter.

* Sarutobi can be translated as 'jumping monkey'.

Anyway, those who are waiting for my other stories - From the future to the Past (Katekyo Hitman Reborn fic), if I don't get too distracted, I might, key word _might _be able to update it in next couple of days but prepare for the worst and don't get your hopes up.

Oh yeah, if you're confused between Naru and Narumi, Naru is a nickname for Narumi. Some called her Naru and some call her Narumi.


	5. Chapter 5

**No more Hiding**

**Chapter 5**

* * *

**Author Note: **Before you read the story, I'm sorry for not updating for so long. I have no excuse to use as it it my fault for not putting it up fast enough and to say, this isn't my best one and I feel I rushed the story a bit but I hope you enjoy it.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed and special thanks to **Miniwa** for PMing me get me back to writing again.

The poll is still open and right now, Itachi is winning, Shikamaru coming around the corner and followed up by Nejij.

For those you haven't voted yet, vote your favourite pair, don't worry about being too late. It'll be open for quite a while.

Now that's out of the way, enjoy your story.

* * *

Several days passed ever since Kitsune refused to go back to ANBU Headquarters, abandoning her work. She didn't listen to the hawks that squawked at her to return but she and brushed them off like nothing dust on her shoulder. There was no way she was coming back where that filthy traitor was, alive and breathing in the same air as her.

* * *

Today wasn't a day for the ANBU. It was the worst day ever in the history of ANBU. It had to be.

"Where is she? Does anyone know where Sou-taichou is?" Tori asked, running amok in the Headquarters, looking for a certain fox masked ANBU. This was already the fourth day since she left without a single trace. They did not have a single lead where she could be! Had she gone AWOL?

"Buta, go check her private training ground! Hebi, throw that traitor somewhere else than here!" Second-in-command, Tori, taichou of Squad 2 commanded harshly. Instantly, said ANBU disappeared to his orders not wanting to be in the way of his wrath.

* * *

Narumi sat on a grassy patch of the forest, looking up to the sky with the eyes that saw too much of the ugly and dark side of the world. The sky was clear and bright, a good day for everyone in Konoha but to her, it was not. It mocked her. To the rest of the world, they would remember this very day as a positive memory but to her, it was another chain, tying her to the past, adding to her fruitless struggle to forget the past. Whenever on these kinds of days, she came here. This was a place where she came frequently whenever she felt a bit lonely. The nature around her calmed her, soothing her muscles and mind, keeping her sane, distracting her away from the lingering dark thoughts in the deepest corner of her mind.

"Your neck will ache if you look up for too long." A voice said, startling her slightly and clenched her hand inside her sleeve than grabbing the hidden senbon, just managing to remembering that she was right now a civilian and not a shinobi. Even as a shinobi, it was her fault of being too careless.

Standing not far away from her were two girls, one blonde and one and pinkette holding a bouquet of various types of flowers. Narumi mentally noted their faces, the blonde had a distinctive shape familiar to her colleague, probably his daughter - Ino was it? The timid looking pinkette didn't ring any bell in her mind, a high chance that the girl came from a civilian background.

"What are you two doing out here?" She asked and the blonde pointed to a part of the forest where the teacher _'Chuunin' _was helping a group of girls with flowers. Ah, flower arranging.

"I've never seen you before. Are you new or transfer? Sensei didn't say about having a new student. By the way, your kimono is really cute. Where did you buy it? Is it from Haruka's Treasure or Yaya Homemade?" She asked, bombarding her with questions after questions. Standing next to her, the other girl squirmed a bit and pulled the talkative girl's sleeve, stopping her motor mouth.

"Well... answering in order, I'm not a new or a transfer student. I come here once in a while and the kimono was a gift, so I don't know where it was from." She didn't mention that the kimono was a specially made for kunoichi. They will eventually learn it in the future. No point to spoil it and honestly, she didn't want open a can of worms by telling her the truth and be bombarded with questions again, lest not forget that she had to keep her identity a secret even though no one remembered her anymore.

"I'm Ino and she," Ino pushed the pinkette in front of her, grinning cheekily. "is Sakura." Sakura greeted quietly.

"I'm Narumi." She stretched her hand out and they shook her hands.

"Well, well well. Look at this. Ms. Billboard trying to help a civilian lost in the forest?" A bossy voice sneered behind Ino and Sakura. Sakura tensed in reaction and Narumi narrowed her eyes at her reaction. Was she bullied? On the other hand, Ino growled like an angry dog and stood in front of Sakura and her. Did she think she was a civilian?

"What do you want Bakami?" Ino drawled making a fun of the bossy girl's name Ami. Her reaction was entertaining to see, her face changing from embarrassment to fury then to anger, finally settling for a failed sinister look for revenge.

Pathetic.

"You do know that this area is off-limits to the civilians." She said smugly by the information and Narumi mentally rolled her eyes at that false information. Who spread that information? Hitama forest was the safest and friendliest forest in Konoha. It was a perfect forest for families to come over for picnic and in sunny weather like today. What kind was rubbish was this girl listening to and which idiot was spewing that rubbish?

"You misunderstand." She said, stopping Ino before she could retort back. The two lackeys, Ami, Ino and Sakura stared at her. Nobody corrected Ami, especially a civilian. Ino was an exception because her family was well known shinobi clan. Ami was from a merchant family who moved to Konoha four years ago. They were powerful in their own right from a civilian background and so, not many students dared to fight her since everyone knew she would tattle tale to her parents and cause havoc to the students who 'bullied' her. The only students who managed to stand up against her were those from Shinobi family like Ino.

"Hitama forest is the safest forest in Konoha and in fact, lots of families from both civilians and shinobi are encouraged to come to this forest for many purposes. Therapy is very common to shinobi and a good picnic sight for both families as long as the nature and the animals are not disturbed or given a permanent damage which is a grave offence so please do be careful in the future. I don't know who told that false information but it is certainly not true that civilians are not allowed to come here." She explained, unknowingly catching several eyes of other students nearby. They hadn't known that this forest was open for everyone, all because of Ami who had told this to everyone and they had believed her out from fear and naivety.

"This forest was given by the Daimyo himself to Nidaime Hokage in his second year of the reign to show his condolences of the loss of Shodai Hokage who was Nidaime's older brother and one of the four founders of Konoha. Nidaime made sure Hitama forest was open to everyone and using his strongest elemental manipulation, water, he made an underground water system, watering the whole forest straight from the Yamachi river, one of the largest rivers situated in the south west of Konoha. He made it sure that not even a drought would harm or damage the forest, so until now, not a single plant wilted in Hitama or suffered the slightest. It is well known that Konoha is gifted with fertile lands so the he took the full advantage of it. What all of you see around you is the product of his tender care and love to his people and home. That is one of the reasons why vegetation in this particular forest grows and bloom faster compared to other forests." By the time she finished everyone was staring at her in awe. They had never known that there was such a story behind or the fact that history could be this fun. She was better than Iruka-sensei.

"Bravo. That was a perfect summary of the Hitama forest. I didn't know there was someone left who knew of this forest's history." The teacher complimented and suddenly Narumi felt nervous for the first time in years being in presence of her age group which was the first time. Maybe she shouldn't have talked too much but it wasn't her fault that she like history and read some whenever she felt bored. What? Just because she was in ANBU didn't mean that she had no hobby or anything although some would disagree and she needed to get a new hobby. She was perfectly happy with her hobby.

"I like history." She replied back quietly and silently eyed the looks from all students around.

"I didn't mean to disrupt the lesson, I'm sorry." she bowed and stood up to leave, only to have Ino grab her wrist sending mad signals to her brain to throw her overhead but refrained doing so.

'**Calm down kit. Nobody wants to hurt you... well except for the three brats but I doubt they can do anything.**' Kyuubi said and hearing her companion, the muscles in her body finally relaxed with a little help of the fox.

"Narumi-chan, please tell us more!" Ino begged and the couple of students agreed. Narumi looked at the teacher for help but she merely smiled and leaving her alone in the midst of the students who wanted to listen more. Weren't they here for flower arranging? Wasn't she an unneeded distraction to their education?

If the teacher wasn't going to stop her, might as well tell them the history about the native flowers in Konoha. That should be a rather good lesson for them to know but was it okay for her to suddenly barge in like this?

"Well..." She mumbled unsure what to do.

"You're so good! Please." Ino begged and forced the girl to sit the ground again, the students following her actions and sat around her waiting for her to tell another history lesson.

Mentally sighing and ignoring Kyuubi's snicker, she plucked a small eight petal black tipped white flower next to her feet.

"This flower is called the Tears of the Moon. It's also known as the Blessing of the Sun. The legend of this flower goes back to..." She began and the children listened to her re-telling of history.

* * *

Through the glass ball, Hokage smiled softly seeing his granddaughter figure enjoying herself with her age group. At first he was nervous but seeing her interacting with them, he mentally noted to thank Inoichi and the Chuunin teacher. She was so tense a while ago but the moment history or anything related was mentioned, Narumi turned passionate with her favourite subject. At least she was making a good use of her AWOL than staying isolated in the apartment. If she had stayed inside, he would've sent Kakashi to annoy her until she did something productive.

Yes, he wouldn't have to worry when the time comes.

* * *

After telling five stories of native flowers in Konoha, she was dragged back to the Academy with lots of begging from the students and puppy eyes from Ino and Sakura wanting to show off their school to her. She had to admit that she felt a bit attached to the duo already and saw them like her little sisters, but she knew this relationship wouldn't last long. She knew they would forget and leave her in matter of time. Everyone did.

"I can't believe you don't go shinobi Academy with us. You know more than us!" Sakura complimented loudly. Passing the timid shell of hers, Sakura was a loud and outgoing child. With the right help, no doubt she will become an excellent kunoichi in the future, making her own legend like others who already have.

"You should join the shinobi Academy and you can teach us History instead of Iruka-sensei!" A random girl shouted and everyone agreed.

Narumi didn't know how to react to this. This was her first time actually spending time with her age group that didn't stare at her with disgust or talk behind her back. The teacher herself was kind to her and everything felt foreign. She was used to being hated by the younger generation. Not liked. People who she normally interacted with were older than her and the closest age group was Itachi but even then, he was five years older than her.

"Now, now, don't make her feel uncomfortable." The teacher chided her students. _'Too late.' _She mentally snapped back and Kyuubi snorted.

Now both girls and boys were joined back together, her attendance didn't go unnoticed and she noticed that Shikaku's son was there as well. He stared at her and she knew it was matter of time, give or take couple of years before he matched the puzzles together.

This was bound to be interesting at the very least.

* * *

In the classroom, Ino didn't leave her alone at all; keeping her within the perimeter of the school and it was rather lucky for Ino and unlucky for Narumi that there was a spare seat next to her. The boys stared at her with interest having her seen the girl before except for a certain lazy boy that even then, it was a brief moment and both had gone their ways.

The students settled down the moment the door opened revealing another Chuunin come in holding a register book and a letter, something all students noticed instantly. Whose letter was it?

"Is... Uzuki Narumi here?" He asked, pronouncing her name slightly awkwardly and inside, Kyuubi rolled on the floor laughing at the Hokage's so called creativity of her surname. It had to be him. Who knew she was here or her real surname when she revealed only her name.

"Yes sensei." She raised her hand up slightly from her seat and the Chuunin handed the letter. From the texture of the paper, it was rich and smooth, a very familiar material she was very used to. This hammered the final nail that it was from the Hokage.

Thanking him quietly, she returned to her 'seat' and opened the letter where it had only two words much to the confusion to the students who read the contents of the letter not that she was actually hiding or anything.

-_Have fun-_

Narumi recognized the handwriting and instinctively knew it was no forgery. He had witnessed everything, including her pseudo history lesson the forest. If her colleagues ever heard of this, they would never live it down, especially Sandaime and her big brother figure.

"Who is it from?" Ino whispered back, curious who the sender was.

"Someone I know. It's nothing." She replied and quickly folded the letter away, not quite answering the question and thankfully, Ino didn't push it.

"Due to some circumstances, Uzuki Narumi will be in the class for today. Treat her well and don't antagonize her too much." Iruka looked at his students critically, as if daring them to do something like that and suffer a month of detentions and toilet cleaning, _alone_.

"Sensei, is she a new student?" A boy loudly asked and a small white puppy yipped form the boy's head. _'Inuzuka.' _

"Yes and no. She is new but she will be only joining us for today." The teacher kept the answers short, never going into too much detail.

"Anyway, today, we will learn about the First Shinobi World War, also known as Shinobi World War." He announced and automatically, majority of the students groaned out load at the slow torture of another boring lecture that lasted two hours. Used to their reaction, Iruka didn't bother saying anything and dived straight into the history talking about the tension between Kumo and Konoha. It was very interesting in Narumi's opinion although not many shared her view.

"Can anyone tell me the known events that happened during the Shinobi World War?" He asked and only two hands were shot up in the air. Uchiha Sasuke and Uzuki Narumi. How she didn't notice Itachi's younger brother was in the same classroom was quite surprising. How distracted was she in the lesson today?

"Sasuke?" He called out to the boy.

"Nidaime Hokage died in the war." He said and he nodded, complimenting the boy.

"Anything else? Narumi?" He asked the new girl.

"Sandaime was appointed as Hokage during the War when Nidaime acted as the bait to the enemies and Sandaime Hokage is known being the youngest Hokage in history, receiving the mantle at the age of seventeen, a year younger than Yondaime Hokage who received the mantle at the age of eighteen during the Third Shinobi World War. It is greatly misunderstood that Yondaime became the youngest Hokage but in fact it was Sandaime. They never corrected it because it didn't matter to them in person, thus the rumour spread." She briefed and all students gaped at her at the information. Some students knew that Sandaime was appointed during the war but hadn't known that Nidaime had acted as the bait or that he became the Hokage at the age of seventeen and Yondaime only a year older. They had all believed that Yondaime was the youngest.

"Y-Yes." Iruka stuttered, having not met a child with that much knowledge as her. He didn't know why the Hokage wanted her to sit in the lesson but now, he saw a bit. She was a genius. To think that a girl who didn't go the shinobi Academy knew this much, with the right help and track, she will become a legend of her generation. Turning around, he grabbed a chalk and drew a long time line, writing major events that occurred in the war for the students to know.

1st year - Declaration of war from Kumogakure.

5th year - Kirigakure and Iwagakure declared war on both Konohagakure and Kumogakure. Sunagakure did not participate in the war.

11th year - Death of Nidaime, mantle passed to the Sandaime Hokage.

17th year - Kirigakure and Kumogakure surrenders.

18th year - Iwagakure surrenders and war ends.

The teacher said more about the war that she 'missed' and there were a few pieces of information that she didn't know such as that Uchiha Clan tribute the most in the war despite the fact of Madara's betrayal and death of Shodai Hokage that happened couple years before the tension between Kumo had escalated to a full blown war. Overall, it was a productive lesson.

"The war lasted for eighteen years and twelve years of peace before the start of the Second Shinobi World War. We will start the Second Shinobi World War next week and your homework will be to find out five pieces of information about the Shinobi World War other than the ones we learnt today." He said and in cue, the bell rang signaling it was now lunch time. Students rushed out like an angry herd of bulls wanting to get away from anything that was learning and the hunger drove them crazy.

Narumi sat still on the seat, writing down some notes about the war that she didn't know. She pretended she didn't feel the prick at the back of her head of someone staring at her, specifically, Ami and her lackeys. Ino and Sakura left earlier with the herd of students to get lunch from home leaving her alone. Shikamaru decided to stay behind; being too lazy to move and he wanted to talk with Narumi. She was an enigma. For a civilian, she knew much about the shinobi in general and to his mistake, he hadn't noticed her controlled movements earlier when the girls had met with the boys outside the school after the separated lesson where the girls went to do flower arranging and boys learning basic strategy thinking. Compared to the rest of the girls, her footsteps were too quiet.

And interestingly enough, her footsteps were quieter than the teacher herself.

"Oi new girl." Ami called out, catching the remaining students' attention in the classroom to the duo. Narumi pretended she didn't hear and continued writing down the notes to trio's frustration. Ami stomped down the stairs and stood in front of Narumi's table, glaring down at her with hate but compared the doses she was exposed to since the earlier years of her childhood; hers was barely a mosquito bite.

"How rude. Did your parents teach you any manners or had they abandoned you when you were a baby?" She sneered in distaste and that was a bad move. Everyone who knew Narumi knew mentioning her parents was a big taboo. She didn't know much of her mother and the fact that it was her father who committed her life to hell... yep; parents were a very sensitive subject to her and didn't help much that this girl had insulted them. Just because she didn't think much of them didn't mean anyone was allowed to insult them and that particular insult crossed the line. _Way _over to the other side_._

The pencil Narumi was holding snapped into two pieces shocking them at her pure strength but that wasn't the worst. The coldness in her eyes sent shivers down everyone's spine and they suddenly felt smaller around her.

"_I'm _being rude? You are certainly the rude child, not me. In a shinobi village, don't you know it is _very rude_ to mention someone's parents due to the high death rate unless you know that person _very well_? Don't you have _shame_ to insult the dead?" She mocked the girl, her tone harsh and clipped. This was a completely different side of her from what they have seen before in the lesson.

"I am an orphan. Do the math." She stood up from her seat and walked away from Ami who was now shaking in slight fear. The lackeys behind weren't different.

"A word of advice, Ami. Don't insult someone who you don't know. That person may be your ally today but may turn into your enemy the next day." She said and having a quick look around the classroom and memorizing their faces, she left without a word. She would have to file an apology to the teacher for skipping the rest of the lesson.

* * *

Back in the Hokage office, Sandaime groaned loudly.

They were back to square one, _again_.

That foolish civilian girl needed to learn how to keep her mouth shut when needed. With the damage done, it would be harder to convince her when the time comes and everything was going so _perfectly _until that girl had ruined the whole thing.

* * *

Keeping her mouth in a thin line, Narumi walked down the streets, furious at the girl. She will never make into a shinobi. Konoha didn't need selfish bigots who targeted the weak.

She stopped on her tracks and looked up to the sky.

She knew this particular Chakra presence as clear as day. There was no way she could ever forget it. Never.

Running to the path she came from, she traced the chakra pulses where it was originating from and once she found the source, coldness seeped into her stomach. Luck was not with her today.

The Shinobi Academy.

* * *

By the time the lunch break was over and the teacher returned, needlessly to say, he was very disappointed. He had warned them earlier but had they listened? No. Not only one of his students insulted Narumi, the girl had left in the middle of the school day, refusing to come back.

How was he going to explain this to the Hokage? He had warned that Narumi was a special child, having no interacting experience with children of her age. Living isolated from others, he had brought the girl to his attention to teach her more about the children of her age group. He even had a full set course for her to fit in well, but thanks to the incident in lunch, everything was flushed down, leaving him with no plan to follow.

The Hokage was so going to skin him alive.

* * *

Running into a hollow alley, Narumi produced two kage bunshin.

"One of you get my uniform." With a quick salute, one kage bunshin shunshined away, leaving one with the original.

"Go inform the Hokage. I'm activating C-K: 03. I will take full responsibilities." Nodding, the last kage bunshin shunshined away. In time, the earlier kage bunshin returned, holding her ANBU uniform.

Wasting no time, she dismissed her clone and changed into her uniform, complete with white cloak, hiding her appearance.

_'Kyuubi, I need you to keep my anger in check. If I lose it, take over me.'_ She asked her tenant.

'**Don't worry about it. Give that bastard what he deserves. If he manages to survive which I highly doubt, I will rip him to sheds and feed the remains to the wild.**' Kyuubi growled angrily and she mentally nodded, agreeing with him. She will do the same.

That unfinished battle will come to an end after the three long years of wait.

* * *

If the Hokage was startled by Narumi's sudden appearance, he hid it well, but he couldn't deny that he was shocked by her. She didn't use the door as she normally would've but appeared into his office in shunshin, no doubt startling his hidden guards. Was she that upset by the girl in the Academy to blow her identity? No it couldn't be that. She had more control that to lose over that petty fight.

"Is there anything wrong Narumi-chan?" He asked in a grandfatherly tone, not wanting to upset her even further than she already was.

"C-K: 03." That was the only thing she said and disappeared, indicating she was nothing but a kage bunshin but that wasn't the point. Sweat dribbled down his chin. What happened that she was activating C-K: 03?

"Neko, find Kitsune right now." He ordered.

"T-There is a problem finding Sou-taichou Hokage-sama." He stuttered back, both from shock for the appearance of the civilian girl who was in fact a shinobi in disguise and the seriousness in the leader's voice honestly scared him a little.

"She shouldn't be repressing her Chakra right now." He said and growled, causing the ANBU to falter a little. Whatever happened between the very short conversations with the girl, it was not something happy or good.

"Hai." He disappeared at once, not wanting to talk back to the Hokage again.

* * *

Landing on the roof of the Academy, Kitsune bit her thumb and rapidly went through sequence of seals before slamming her bleeding hand to the floor. Series of arrays appeared beneath her hand, summoning her two familiars, Ame and Yuki, three-tailed black fox and two-tailed red fox respectively.

"Who's the unlucky bastard this time, hime?" Ame asked as the smoke cleared up, her razor sharp fangs glistening against the light, ready to bite her prey to death. Next to her, Yuki growled, urged to apprehend her easy going attitude but refrained to do so.

"Not this time. The prey's mine. I want you two to protect the students and teachers in this building while I go hunting." Kitsune explained and instantly, the two foxes' eyes sharpened and tensed up for orders.

"Any priorities?"

"Class 1-B. All Clan heirs are gathered together. They are still young, so it should be easy for you guys to slip in unnoticed. I have a general idea where the bastard is hiding." She explained and they knew only one person who called bastard. He was not a bundle of joys to go after alone. They will not allow her go after him alone.

"Don't bother coming after me. I have Kurama. He will be my backup." She said just as her familiars opened their mouths to argue back. Hearing their leader, they quieted down.

Giving a quick nod to their summoner they dashed away, leaving her alone on the roof.

Adjusting the mask on her face, making sure it wouldn't fall off in the middle of a possible fight, a sadistic grin slipped past her guard.

Time to hunt for a pest.

* * *

Iruka stopped in mid-sentence, suddenly feeling a chill down his spine. The students looked at him weirdly but he said nothing and pretended everything was normal and continued where he had stopped, while his senses tried to pick out anything out of the norm.

For a while, it wasn't that hard ignoring the instinct that screamed at him that something dangerous would happen since it was the Academy, so where the was danger? But no, it drove him insane, to the point he broke the chalk he was holding, startling the students out of their wits.

Sighing, he turned around, getting all students' attention to him and mentally sighed again when the half of the class weren't even paying attention to the lesson. What a day. First the Hokage asked him a favour for a civilian girl he knew well, only for said girl to escape during lunch break because of one of his student insulted her parents which he later confirmed she was an orphan - her parents either abandoned her or died probably from the Kyuubi incident which was an honourable death having served for the protection of the village. Ami just had to insult them which didn't sit well with the new girl, thus resulting to her escape. He had yet to notify the Hokage but he hoped it wouldn't go too bad.

"Since nobody is listening," Some flinched having been caught. "we'll have Taijutsu lesson instead of Theories." At this, the boys cheered loudly while most of the girl population groaned at physical work. This was the worst. They had to get all sweaty and tired now. At least they could pretend they were listening in Theories.

Damn.

* * *

This was really a Cat and Mouse chase. The bastard knew she was here and so, decided 'play' with her, running away just as she thought she caught him, his Chakra spiked to opposite area where she was, evading her by a hairsbreadth. The damn traitor. Once she had her hands on him, she will teach him the new meaning of pain.

Screw the interrogation.

He will die by her hands today.

* * *

Iruka watched the students run laps around the school field, the usual warm-ups before the actual lesson started. He urged to sigh again when he saw the usual groups of girls together, walking rather than jogging like the boys who were competing of who would finish it first. They were really lucky that the villages were at peace than war. He was lucky too that he started going to the Academy after the end of war, but the Kyuubi incident tore peace up.

He snapped out from memories hearing the screams from his students the glass breaking. Acting instinctively, he ran where the sound came from, quickly grabbing the children nearby and shunshining away from the glass breaking.

1, 2, 3... shit! Looking up, two students froze on spot in fear, looking up to the falling glass that would harm them badly.

Releasing the students, he made a run for them hoping he wouldn't be too late to save them. He couldn't let anything harm them. Not on his watch.

* * *

In the shadow, Ame and Yuki grunted together. They had followed the students and teacher outside the field. They had watched the surroundings, making sure there was no harm nearby. Both of them moved simultaneously, biting the collar of the student's clothes each, they jumped away from the rain of broken glasses that imbedded to the ground a second later where the students' once stood.

The two students shook like new born chick, fear coming out of them so much that could taste it in the air. They released them and jumped away the teacher approached them, though specifically the students. They both noticed the suspicious looks from the teacher but they reacted to none and looked up to the broken window. A figure stood by the edge of the sill and just looking at the silhouette, they growled. _Him._

The figure jumped down evading the assaults of kunai and senbon from the inside of the building, landing gracefully as a shinobi could be.

"That was a little mean you know?" The stranger said looking up to the figure inside, hidden by the shadow.

* * *

Iruka watched in the sidelines as the two multi-tailed foxes (that reminded him of Kyuubi) move in front of them, acting as a wall between the students and him from the stranger that landed the floor. Spiky hair that looked like a pineapple, slouched with both hands inside black pants. Bandages around both of his ankles and right thigh which was hidden under the shuriken/kunai pouch. Black shirt on top of the mesh shirt that covered his neck and mid-way of the arms.

The man moved away to the side when the figure jumped down, slamming the tanto to the ground where the man stood a split second ago. ANBU.

Blood left his face seeing the shadows of the village. What was the ANBU doing here, in the Academy and just who on earth was that man? Why was the ANBU chasing him? A traitor? Nuke-nin?

"You got to be kidding with me..." He heard Shikamaru mutter quietly, in a tone he had never heard the lazy boy talk. Looking back, he saw the Nara heir pale, both of his hands clenched tightly to fists at his side. His eyes were wide and filled with fear. Shikamaru knew him and they looked quite similar. Same hair and style of clothes. Family member? Iruka knew Shikamaru knew the man though they weren't close at all judging by the boy's reaction to the man's arrival. Perhaps a traitor from the Clan?

"Who knew you would come back here, _traitor._" The ANBU hissed angrily and plucked out the half-imbedded tanto from the ground in a fluid motion.

"Missed me?" The traitor teased, opening his arm out wide leaving his front defenseless and the ANBU promptly took advantage, dashing with the weapon ready to swipe and detach the head from the body, only for him to move back at last second and kicked the ANBU to the side, sending the smaller figure to the wall of the building creating a spider crack.

"The only thing I missed was your dead body three years ago!" She shouted, launching to the traitor again, this time the tanto glowed blue and she slashed it, a wave of Chakra sent to him.

* * *

It didn't take much for the ANBU to track their Sou-taichou. They all felt her Chakra spike from the Academy and wasting no time, two full available teams of ANBU made their way to the Academy, hoping for the safety of the Academy. They trusted their commander to be safe and alive but that didn't go the same with the building. If she ever went full out, the building will be destroyed to rubbles, no dust.

By the time they arrived, they did a double-take seeing who their commander was fighting. It took nearly all of their wills not to go and fight the traitor knowing it by heart that they would nothing be a hinder to her and as much they wanted to deny it, they were no match to him. As how it looked like he was playing with her, they all noticed the moving shadows in Kitsune's that were watching for a perfect chance to stab her from behind. Kitsune was the only person capable to fight the traitor. She knew him better than they did.

After all, she was his student before he defected from Konoha.

* * *

Amongst the crowd of students, Shikamaru watched in horror at the fight between the ANBU and his disowned uncle. He didn't know the actual details that made him disowned by the Clan, but he knew enough that he betrayed Konoha, being enlisted as S-rank nuke-nin in Konoha Bingo books. He watched as the duo fought each other as if they were dancing together. A very dangerous dance.

He and the rest of the students yelped out in surprise when more people - ANBU dropped down from who knows where, standing in semi-circle, protecting them. Three ANBU brought the teacher the two students back to the group.

"ANBU-san, what i-" Iruka asked to the ANBU who all watched the fight.

"It is confidential." One ANBU replied tensely, cutting the Chuunin off in mid-sentence. As it looked rude, they had to give as minimum disturbance to their commander.

Biting his lips, Iruka closed his mouth and stopped asking questions. He met a few ANBU in the past but he had never seen them so tense. They were the best of the best in village, taught to hide emotions and yet here there were, their nervousness and anger openly flowing out from them. Some bothered to hide but most didn't even try.

Just how much of a criminal was this traitor?

"Oya, oya. Feisty as usual." The traitor teased, evading slashes after slashes with ease. The ANBU growled dangerously. Why couldn't that pineapple bastard stand still long enough so she could cut him to human sashimi? The bloody fucker...

Suddenly, right in front of everyone's eyes, he disappeared.

"You've improved, but not enough Kokitsune-chan. You're not ripe enough." He whispered next to her ear and kicked her to a tree. The tree splintered, earning winces from the students at the pain the shinobi was going through.

"Well, it seems there's still a long way for you to go." He sighed and beneath his shoes, the shadow expanded madly, engulfing everything nearby. Kitsune jumped away a good meters, breathing heavily from the last blow. Two more cracked ribs. Lovely. She really had to thank her partner for his fast healing.

"You're not fighting all out. Why? Is it because of the audiences?" He asked, tilting his head to the Academy students at the other side of the field, protected by ANBU. They flinched away from him, black sinister eyes meeting theirs.

"Oh look, even my nephew is here."

Kitsune growled.

"Don't you dare touch them, you bastard!" She shouted but she was too late. He sank inside his shadows, disappearing from her sight but she knew where he will come out and who his target was. It was obvious.

Forcing Chakra into her legs and feet, she ran towards the group of students protected by her ANBU and knocked the Nara heir off his feet, sending the both of them to the floor skidding several feet away where the Academy student once stood. From where the young Nara had stood seconds ago, a scythe made out of shadow poised itself where his throat would've been. A drop of red blood fell to the floor from the weapon and with a shaking hand; Shikamaru traced a thin cut line by his cheek. That was too close. Way to close to his comfort.

The surrounding ANBU grabbed the students and too jumped away to safer distance, each ANBU protecting two or three students with their body. Kitsune did the same, standing up from the ground and stood in front of the Nara heir.

Alone in the field, the shadow scythe sank back and the traitor came out from the ground, the insane grin never leaving his face.

"Bravo, bravo, Kokitsune-chan. It wasn't that hard was it?" He teased and standing behind the ANBU, Shikamaru flinched away.

Suddenly, the blank field was filled with shinobi. Jounin stood side by side, armed and positioned to attack the traitor in the centre. By the crowd, Shikamaru noticed his father standing with the rest of the shinobi, his hand already formed to a ram sign to strike like a snake. His friends, Inoichi and Chouza stood next to him, both readied to fight side by side with him. Nearby trees were full with ANBU with their signature weapons out, ready to fight the enemy.

Killing intent sky peaked, something only few of the students felt in the air. They were lucky that none of them were aimed to them.

"What are you going to do now, _Shigeru_?" Kitsune spat out his name venomously and from behind, one ANBU dropped down shunshined the Nara heir away from the battlefield. Staying with Sou-taichou was dangerous, especially right now where a huge battle could easily happen and destroy everything around them.

"What I am going to do? You tell me, Kitsune." He replied in a mocking tone, dropping the nickname for the first time.

Grinning sadistically, all nearby shadows exploded and the battle started.


End file.
